At Our Core
by Sookdeo
Summary: I don't believe in love. You can say I have underlying issues in my childhood and I'll tell you otherwise with a straight face. It isn't something that I'm cut out for; Not the flowers or cute animal names or meeting the parents. To me, love is a game I've learned to play well and I just enjoy the chase that follows. There's nothing wrong with that. KH, FF, and Disney characters AU
1. This is Where it Starts

**My inspiration struck me at 12 in the morning while watching Being Erica. I just typed down what I felt. I wasn't sure where this fic was going, just that I like the idea of Namine being tough and fearless. It's completely OoC from most fanfics and the games. Let's see where it goes.**

**This chapter merely serves as preface to the actual story. The prologue is just to set the stage for the story.**

**Disclaimer: Everything I write is purely for fun. I do not own any of the Square Enix characters, Disney or Final Fantasy. I do, however, own a few characters that I've made up. No character is meant to mimic anyone in real life. Any such occurrence is merely a coincidence.**

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Prologue - This is Where it Starts

My mother was truly the most beautiful person I'd ever laid eyes on. With her thick, dark curly hair and deep chocolate-colored eyes. Not to mention she had a figure that any girl would kill for.

Her grandfather was from India; born and raised in Delhi. Both of his parents died from Tuberculosis when he was only fifteen. He and some of his friends made their way over to the West Indies in hopes of a better life. He later married Adhira, who truly lived up to her name which meant lightning. If Niḥśabda was the peace and tranquility of a crane, then Adhira was the destruction and foreboding figure of a wild bull. They met at a marketplace in Surname where Adhira was quarreling with a spice man over the price of curry powder. A few words from my great grandfather's mouth flowing like peaceful rivers and she was a goner. Smitten by his kind soul and persuasiveness, they married at 18 and moved to Guyana where my grandfather, Andrew, was born. There he grew up and follow his parent's suit in marrying at 18.

Andrew worked as a construction builder. He soon moved his wife, Alisha, and both of his parents to United States of America. It sounded as promising as ever with more people immigrating and job prospects popping up like daisies in the spring time. In three years time my mother was born. In Miami, Florida.

My mother was lucky enough to learn Hindi from her mother, Alisha, who believed culture was something important to hold on to and pass on to future generations. "After all sweetie, that is all we have." She held on to the teachings of Gandhi and Jesus like they were gold. For Diwali, the festival of lights, she would light candles through the entire house and for Easter she would throw holy water, from the Catholic Church, on us. I love my grandma but she's crazy.

With the arrival of my uncle and then aunt, my maternal family moved to New York. My grandpa had more family living up there and had a better job opportunity. He soon took over the construction business that he initially hired on to.

~0~0~

My paternal great grandparents were a respected noble family from Okinawa, Japan. My father's father belonged to the Japanese Marine Corps. He joined fresh out of high school, holding on to the hopes of becoming a doctor. He served for two years before he was stationed in Naha. By that time his parents had already arranged a marriage with a lovely, dainty girl named Ayame. She also came from a respectable family who owned more than half of the shipping ports in Japan. And with the Odayaka's financial status wavering, Daiki accepted the proposal. Wanting to have nothing but filial piety and not wanting to disappoint his parents, Ayame and Daiki wed within five months. Talk about a shot-gun wedding. Three years passed with an unfulfilling marriage and the pressure to produce a son for Ayame.

He was then stationed in Kyoto. There he met a French woman, Éclair Farron, who's Japanese was as bad as Daiki's French. Regardless of the language barrier they fell in love and had an affair. He knew about her loneliness and she knew about his wife. And like all things in life that happen unexpectedly, a son was born. They named him Iko for the hope and new life that he brought with his birth. He told his wife that he would be stationed in France for a little while, so he could sort things out with his now complete family.

When Daiki returned from his trip abroad he ended his sham of a marriage with Ayame. He was scorned not only by her, but by his parents. They disowned him for shaming the family name and cast him out. In the divorce Ayame took the house and more than half of his bank account, probably to ease the barrenness of her womb and emptiness of her own heart.

Daiki and Éclair worked as hard as they could to save up money. And yes, you are correct. They headed straight for America.

~0~0~

My mother met my father, Iko, in high school. Although my mother was a quiet and reserved person, Nilima Pyara was not one to be messed with. I recall her saying she once tried to fight a boy twice her size.

Their freshman year my dad spent irritating her. Hitting on her friends, leaving rubber chickens in her locker, taking her things when she wasn't looking. Their sophomore year was filled with mindless flirting (and not with each other); one hanging on the arm of some jock, the other making out with a girl behind the bleachers. Their junior year they finally got together. Everything was going well. They both had plans to attend NYU; my mom for nursing and my dad for business management. My mom was close to reaching her goal of valedictorian. My dad had just started an internship with a major company in the Bronx. They both had scholarships just lining up for them.

The summer before their senior year my mom found out she was pregnant with me. She was 18 when she had me. Actually not too far off from when my grandparents had her. But this was different. She _had_ her future all laid out for her. She had goals and plans for her life.

December 12th was her due date. But I was persistent to stay in her tummy as long as possible. I wasn't breached or anything. I just didn't think I was done cooking; I needed more time in the oven. My mom waited two and a half weeks and out I popped on the first of the New Year. Both of my grandparents were waiting for me as well as most of Mom and Dad's friends. But I think my mom was the most excited.

0.0

I've been told quite often that I favor my dad more. I have his almond-shaped eyes and golden locks. But I have my mother's brownish hazel eyes and charming smile. And my body has started telling me more and more that I'm definitely her daughter. It's getting harder to fit into my younger sister's clothes.

I love photography. I now have a top of the line camera. The one that comes with the long lens that most P.I.'s use. I would really like to pursue this, or as close to this as possible, as a career in the future. My mother would prefer I take up her profession as a nurse but that's just not me. Blood spills, cleaning bed pans, administering meds, and dealing with pompous doctors is not my cup of tea.

Speaking of which I love tea. I absolutely love it! I know I said that I don't believe in love but tea really makes me reconsider my stance. Matcha, pomegranate, peony, earl grey - they're all delicious. And I'm indebted to them for clearing my mind when it's muddled and comforting me when I'm down.

I can speak both Hindi and Japanese. Not enough to live in those countries; just enough to get around. And every time I visit my dad's parents, I pick up a little more French. They were living in France after my sister, Yuffie, was born but they recently moved back to the states. They live in a nice little château on the upper east side of Manhattan. The area is gorgeous and well-known to my frequent shopping trips. Riku usually accompanies me here. I sometimes have to force him to get a well needed haircut. My God he was beginning to look like girl with his beautiful periwinkle tresses.

It has always started with one. Until another is thrown into the equation. Like with my great grandparents or my own parents. It's always been me, myself and I. And I really don't think anything else is for me.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Yes I realize that all of the ancestors married at a very young age and had children young. I wasn't necessarily planning that but it happened. And it was actually very common 20, 30 years ago, especially arranged marriages. Society has broken down these fixtures, thank God, but they happened for a reason. A child was basically a women's joy. And a son was a guarantee to a man that his name would carry on. So the younger you are, the more kids you can have. And the wife and husband are happy with life. Although it is a bit different in the West Indian culture. While Asia holds deep pride in their children, West Indian parents are bit more laid back. I mean they are just as strict when it comes to getting good grades but it's not as harsh. And the majority care about all their kids equally.

I know this is a super long chapter with a longer genealogy than Genesis, but please bear with me lol. I needed to set the scene and all that good stuff. It's been at least 10 years since I've written on Fan Fiction (I recently deleted 2 stories that I wrote) and it's a process. But I **am** open to your ideas, suggestions, comments, concerns and anything else you want to throw my way. Reviews do help the author figure out how to better address the audience. So help me, help _you._

_Sook_


	2. Introductions May Be Needed

**AN: Well this will have a lot of inner monologuing; the entire story actually. Since it's in Namine's perspective I thought that would be best. (Similar to HG. Much of it was Katniss' inner thinking and her perspective.) It will give some background info on characters, events, and other things.**

**This chapter is pretty long. It's like a treatment that needs to be taken in doses. Or like nasty cough medicine that you just have to chase with juice.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except the few I created, or songs used in this fic. Credit goes to Square Enix, Final Fantasy, and Disney. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1: Introductions May be Needed, But Please Don't judge**

It starts with one.

Laughing, crying, running, hiding, playing.

And then there are two.

Hugging, kissing, holding, loving.

It always seemed like a hassle to include anyone else. It was easier to keep up with just one. And I liked it this way. But it was inevitable; the gravity of each person's core will draw us all together. Because that's what it is, right? At the core we're all the same. Whether it's making a horrible decision like kissing our girlfriend's sister or unknowingly embarrassing our best friend. Making mistakes, making amends, breaking hearts, healing old scars, righting wrongs.

Sometimes we place ourselves on different levels than other people. What is the real distinction other than our own biased opinion of one another? We can easily say: You are not deserving. You are worthless.

This is how people turn on each other; how wars are started. It starts so simply: I am not you. I am nothing like you. So we choose not to empathize or put ourselves in another person's shoes.

And it is EACH time, a lie. Because underneath all the layers of fear and protection we are the same at our core. We have the same needs. We carry with us the same capacity for good and evil. We all are the **same**.

Even with all that said, I'd still rather be just one. Maybe then I wouldn't have to deal with the aforementioned wars and disputes. Although my core would eventually cry out for more than just the one I could offer.

Selfish, reluctant, daring, generous, witty, perseverant, compassionate, loyal. This is who I am.

At my core I am Namine Aadhya Odayaka.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop – Landon Piggs_

"I have practice after school. I'll see you later, Mom."

"Ok Nams, have a great first day," she smiled and kissed my cheek. I raced down one flight of stairs and put on my favorite boots. Tan leather and already laced. My shoulder length ponytail flipped into my face as I slipped them on. I picked up my bags and I made my way down two sets of concrete stairs. I could see a black Jaguar approaching my house. Just then my phone whistled and I checked it. A text from the devil himself.

**Axel: Sweetness, we need a talk before you drop that scoop.**

"What happened now?" I grumbled until my breath.

**Me: It better be good.** I responded.

The passenger window rolled down as Riku said, "Stop talking to yourself."

"I am most certainly not. I'm just making an evaluation out loud so it will register better. It's perfectly normal."

I opened the door and slid into his Jaguar. Dropping my bags on the floor I quickly strapped myself in and smoothed out the skirt of my black dress.

"What were you 'evaluating' this time?"

"How sensual the interior of your car is," I quoted the description from the displays I'd read. We both laughed.

"So, are you ready for the first day back to school~?" he asked with fake enthusiasm as he batted his long lashes. Today he was sporting a canary yellow button up with the sleeves rolled up and a white under shirt. He had on a pair of white washed jeans and black and white checkered Vans.

"Yes actually. I have a good story for the school paper and I have my brand new camera to show off." I had been in photography since middle school. My mom even signed me up for whatever classes and programs were available on the subject. At first it was a hobby for me but it grew on me like gangrene on a dirty infection. This summer I finally saved up enough money to buy a camera on my own. The Canon EOS Rebel T5. As for the story I had for the school's newspaper, I needed Axel to pull through for me on this one.

"I've never seen you this excited to write a story for that dastardly paper so it must be good," Riku evaluated.

"It is!" I beamed and turned up his stereo. A funky guitar melody came on. I started snapping my fingers to the beat.

"Usually they post topics on students or makeup tutorials."

"At least they have a variety," I said. I got ready to belt out lyrics. "This one's for you Riku."

"_For once I can say this is mine you can't take it. As long as I know I have love I can make it. For once in my life I have someone who needs meeeee_." I sang the last note purposely off key.

"I think you should stick to your day job."

"Shut up," I lightly smacked his arm. "So what's going on with Rinoa?"

He paused for a moment. "Um, there's nothing going on."

I knew there was nothing exactly _going on_ with his latest interest, but my intuition was kicking in full speed.

"I heard you were at cheerleading camp a couple of times over this summer." Rinoa was the captain of the cheer team. I looked at him from the corner of my eye.

"Huh, well…." He got really quiet.

"You like her don't you," I spoke softly. I was a little taken aback. My inside sources never did lie and Riku never bothered to mention this to me. But it shocked me all the same. Now please don't get me wrong. We are not by definition dating, nor have we ever, actually.

_Riku was like the older brother I never had. He lived across the street in an apartment complex on the third floor. And I had a crush on him since I met him. When we were 14, I found out that our infatuation was mutual. I honestly want to think that he was my first, and probably only, love. _

_On the cusp of turning 15 and entering high school we finally _did the deed_. One of the acts that led to my current ideals of love and the like. All of the awkwardness aside I couldn't have picked a better person to lose my virginity to. We had sex in his room, surprisingly sans Ninja Turtle sheets, but he did have some transformers displayed which I thought were so cool. Skillfully planned all residents were out, while Riku was playing sick at home. His room that he shared with his brother was dimly lit with candles. Nutmeg and Spice No. 1 will always be a scent that brings me good memories. They were the tiny kind and it spread a soft, warm glow across the room. For a fifteen year old boy, he had the finesse of a 30 year old man. _

_It was a bit awkward and hurt like hell. By no means was it the fantasized and long awaited "love making" that our peers and society labeled it as. Getting passed the shaking hands, nervous glances, and numerous tries to "get it in", the deed was certainly done. By the end of it we were both laughing like hyenas and talking about classes for the next semester. Afterwards I looked down at his sheets: "Well you parted my Red Sea." The guy even made me waffles and hot chocolate afterwards. But even after that, we knew that we just weren't right for each other. And neither were relationships._

I never got that Eureka moment where I was just elated and overjoyed that I was with my "true love" and we lost our virginity to each other. I should have felt euphoric and relieved. And if it wasn't with Riku, who I'd known since I was 4, then it just wasn't possible for me.

He's still my best friend regardless of our past and I took it as a lesson learned. Last year, our sophomore year, his family moved about twenty minutes away, into a town house. His father was promoted to the office administrator to some congressman. It is a little harder to hang out with my best bud but we find ways to make it happen.

"I can't believe this. The school's playboy is narrowing his list down. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Namine," he flushed. "I…It's not really like that. I mean I don't _like_ her," he flustered a little. I'd never seen Riku stumbled over his words. "It's just-" I cut him off.

"I'm not making fun of you Ri." I turned to look at him. "If you actually feel something for her then go for it. I'll be behind you all the way." Just because I didn't feel the same about the concept of love didn't mean that I should deter my best friend from it.

He breathed out a small sigh of relief that I didn't realize he was holding in. "Thanks."

"Oh nīchan," I hugged his arm. A nice silence passed over us. "Just promise that I can be your maid of honor." He chuckled.

"Hah, I got a rise outta that one," I lightly pinched his cheek.

"I just…I'm not sure how to go about this."

"Oooh she must be special then. I'll help. You don't even have to ask."

We were approaching the school's parking lot.

"To be honest," he pulled into his parking spot, "your schemes are not the best idea, Nam." He was right; and they were by no means the safest: Having a band play from a rooftop, a flash mob in the middle of a busy street, almost setting a store on fire. Although that last one has Axel written all over it.

"We can reconvene after school. Pizza shop down the street." I started picking up my bags.

"I have basketball practice."

"And I have volleyball." I saw my youngest sister walking towards the break area. "You can drive me and Kairi home afterwards."

"What-"

But I had already left his car and ran over to greet my sister. She was wearing white jean shorts and a salmon crop tank. "Hey Kai! Ready to face the worst day of your life?" Her face fell. "Now remember it's only for four years of your life that you'll never get back. And it'll be filled with kids you hate and teachers who want to see you fail."

"This is the worst pep talk ever," Kairi said.

I swung my arm over her shoulder and steered her to the cafeteria doors. "And it's only the beginning."

It was the beginning for both of us. It was only 7:40 am.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Gotta Be You – 2NE1_

I was part of the Leadership Program at our school, responsible for helping new students e.i. transfers and foreign exchange adjust to Yonkers High School, giving tours to parents, and basically telling rich donator why they should shower us with money. This month's task was helping the Freshmen adjust and showing them around. I had a list of ten kids assigned to my group:

Nashmeira Alzadaal

Isa Iwo

Harlan Mahoe

Ventus Gainsborough-Fair

Simba Mensah

Kairi Odayaka

Louis Segall

Midras Tacand

Shiki Tanaka

Leila Trepe

I decided to have them meet me in front of the administration office.

"Hey everyone. My name is Namine and I'll show you what's up at Yonkers High."

I took a quick survey of the group. For extra measure I added, "For future reference please keep all heinous comments to yourself. Anything else I **can** answer for you." I would not put myself in awkward situations with embarrassing questions.

"We'll start with the main office." There wasn't anything really cool in there. "All the normal stuff like student records, transfer files, the computer mainframe, the teacher mail room, and the principal's office is in there. Hopefully you won't ever have to go into the last one."

Turning my back to them I started to walk to the computer labs. I was hoping that my favorite teacher would be in. I approached the main lab and I stuck my head through the door.

"Hey Namine, what can I help you with?" Mr. Bradley walked into my line of vision.

"Alan," I smiled. "I'm giving some Freshmen a tour and I wanted to show them the coolest teacher."

"Stop trying to butter me up," he chuckled.

I ushered everyone into the room. "This is Alan Bradley our computer teacher and main IT person for Yonkers High. He teaches basic computer classes like business tech essentials and typing but he also teaches troubleshooting, structured cabling and some other classes at the trade school."

"Hey newbies. You can just call me Tron." He smiled.

"Why do you call yourself Tron?" someone with sandy blonde hair asked.

"Cause I'm just so damn good with technology."

"Way to be modest," I said under my breath. "Could you explain a little of what you do?"

"Well I basically keep the school running in one piece." Some of the group chuckled. "I troubleshoot all technical problems, from someone's internet going down to getting no dial tone on a phone, I do it all. Sometimes I rewire the school's mainframe. I also maintain security for the school and help implement new devices. This past year we got a shipment of iPads for all the grades. It's a nice upgrade from the Mac books."

"It's kind of inconvenient though. What about keypads?"

"We have attachable keyboards now."

"Did you always want to work in a high school?" A girl I believed to be Shiki asked.

He went on talk about where he started working before this; For my father. They initially met in high school and were best friends ever since. When they were older and working in different business firms, Dad decided to leave his company in the Bronx to start his own in Manhattan. Alan was the man who helped him build it up. All the IT related things as well as some technical business aspects were taken care of by him. Dad now owns a management and strategy consulting business. After some time, Alan became exhausted by the grueling, tedious workload and settled on something less daunting. This is why he is working at our high school now.

My family had known Alan for a very long time. Even through the divorce, he stayed true and kind to all of us. It wasn't exactly a pretty break up for Nilima and Iko, and Alan helped us through the worst of it.

"Anymore questions?"

"Nope. Thanks Tron." I said smiling.

"Anytime kiddo."

With that we left the computer lab and headed on to the library. Looking through the windows that wrapped around the room we saw an English man with chestnut hair berating someone for misplacing a book. "You must follow the Dewey Decimal System! It is not put there simply for looks!"

"Um we'll skip this one," I said quickening my pace and hoping the others would take the hint. I turned around and walked backwards to address them. "That was the library. The irate man yelling was the librarian Mr. Leavins. He's normally not like that…" I paused. "Well actually sometimes he is. He just really cherishes literature. And is a bit meticulous and uptight when it comes to organization. So for future reference, don't ever bring up 'a better way' to organize the books or newspapers…and don't mention Cornwallis."

Someone in the back raised their hand.

"Don't ask about that one." Turning around again, I continued the tour. I showed them the band room, the art studio, the language halls, the gym, the workshops, and the history wing. I tried to keep it as short as possible. My phone read **8:05 am**. I was pushing it time wise, but there was one more place I wanted to go.

"Ok the tour is almost done. I have one last thing to show you. Actually the most important thing."

0.0

I opened the doors to one of my favorite places. The scent of waffles and syrup assaulted my nose. Breakfast must have just finished. I could just feel my taste buds salivating. The cafeteria.

"Please follow me in single file. We don't want to mess up the floors too much." It seemed like the janitors had mopped not too long ago. I also didn't want anyone tripping and falling.

"Why did you bring us to the cafeteria, Namine?" A girl named Leila asked.

"For treats of course! You guys were one of the best groups I've ever given a tour to. So this is my reward for your patience and cooperation." And I needed some sugar.

"Jacques?" I called out.

"Oui!" I heard a man answer from the back. He strode out tall, confident, and stirring a batter of some sort.

"Ah, Namine how are you?" Jacques said with a heavy French accent.

"I'm great, thank you. I was wondering…" I started to say. I was trying to get a better glimpse of the batter. My eyes flickered up to his and I flashed a smile.

"Ohohohoh oui, mon cherie. Oui. Let us see. There are une, deux, trios…onze of you. One moment. You all may follow if you like."

We followed Jacques further into the kitchen and towards the stoves. He stopped at a flat top stove like the ones they have in Waffle House. Jacques turned to address the small group.

"You with the blue hair."

"Me?" Isa pointed to himself.

"Oui. Please wash your hands and proceed to wash those strawberries. Then, will Kairi please help him cut them?"

She replied with a quiet 'yes.'

"Ventus, please make the topping. Namine will show you."

I grabbed Ventus' arm and led him to one of the industrial fridges away from the group. "So how do you know Jacques, mister?"

"I'm training to be a chef."

"That doesn't really answer my question."

He grabbed two small cartons of heavy cream. "I have connections."

I rolled my eyes. "Your dad knows him doesn't he?"

"Nope. I actually met him at the super market."

"And so now you're his apprentice?"

"Yeah."

"I can't wait to taste everything you can cook." I could feel my mouth watering at the thoughts of juicy steaks and paella.

"Is all you think about food?"

"No, I also think about chocolate."

"That **is** food."

"No it's pure heaven in a bar. Two completely different things Ven. Keep up."

We walked back into the main kitchen and I grabbed a metal bowl. There were strawberries and blueberries already cleaned and drying on dish towels. Simba handed me a whisk and a bag of confectioners' sugar.

There was sugar smeared on his cheek and coating the top of his shirt. "Hey, Simba you got a little something on your face."

"Oh, I thought no one noticed." He proceeded to lick it off.

I laughed, "Ok."

As I poured the heavy cream into the bowl, Ventus whisked with the skill of a sous-chef. I slowly began to pour a bit of the sugar in. In no time we had whipped cream. My mouth started watering.

When we finished wisking, Jacques had finished the crepes. Each of us had a paper plate and fork awaiting the hot treats. The Freshmen lined up to adorn their delicacy with sweets. These were the best crepes I've ever tasted.

"Hey didn't you already eat breakfast?" Kairi asked.

I paused with a forkful near my mouth. "And you're point is…."

"I don't understand where you put it all."

"She's gonna get as big as a house," Isa commented.

After chewing I said, "Pssh, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter." I checked my phone for the time: **8:20 am**. Homeroom would start at 8:35.

"Alright time to wrap it up people. I need to get you to homeroom." I didn't really have to, but I wanted to. It also gave me an excuse to miss some of homeroom.

0.0

Kairi was the last student I walked to class. "You know, you're pretty cool. I can't believe you got a cook to make us breakfast." She smiled at me.

"I know. Aren't you glad that I'm your sister?" We laughed. "So let's take another look at your schedule. Homeroom with Ursula, don't ask about her hair. Home Ec with Skellington, oh he's cool. Then Earth Science with Ursula, again...Geometry with Bagheera. He's from Sri Lanka but he went to school in London. His accent may be a little hard to understand at times, but don't be afraid to ask him to repeat anything. He's a very patient teacher. And feel free to ask him for snacks after class. He usually keeps gelabi or toffee in his desk. Gym. Master Eraqus is very disciplined but he's not strict. Do you have clothes to change into?" She nodded her head. "Just don't be late for his class." I handed her schedule back.

"Well I think that's it." We stopped in front of Ursula's room.

"Thanks Nams."

"Anything for my baby sister." I kissed her cheek. "I'll see you at lunch, kay?"

"Alright." She turned and walked into the classroom. My phone whistled. "Oh shoot, I thought I put that on silent."

**Riku: chick where are you? It's 8:40**

**Me: keep your pants on. I'll be there.**

I walked to our homeroom, enjoying the silence throughout the halls. When I arrived at Mr. Cogsworth's classroom, I just stood against the wall. The bell for our first class rang and out of every door students fled. It was actually an interesting sight to see. Something so quiet and still suddenly interrupted by an alarm. It was like watching little ants flee from a fire in their nest.

I grabbed the edge of Riku's yellow shirt as he walked out the door. "Come on lover boy."

"Excited to see me?"

"No, just excited to find out where all the vital body parts are," I smiled.

0.0

I'm not going to lie. Even after two years of coming to this school, Hook still scares me a little. But he's teaching one of my favorite classes, so I think I can over look that. Coming in at 6'2 and 190 pounds Claudio Acosta is our beloved human anatomy teacher. He also serves lunch on occasion. All the kids just call him Hook because well, he's missing his left hand. And he wears a nice shiny hook as a replacement for the appendage. Every time someone asks how he lost it, he changes the story.

"_I got it stuck during a plumbing issue. They had to saw my arm off along with the pipe." _

"_My arm got caught in a factory machine at a pillow manufacturing company."_

"_I was having a picnic with a loved one. She didn't like my joke. The next thing I knew, she took out a cleaver and chopped my arm clean off."_

But I know what really happened. During his college years he went on a safari trip in Australia and got a little too close to an alligator.

I picked a seat in the middle of the class with Riku in tow. I plopped down on the stool when Riku said, "Why here?"

"It's the best view of all the other suckers. Aaaaand I like being the center of attention." I propped my elbow up on the black top counter.

"You think the teacher is hot," Riku deadpanned.

"That too." I turned to look at him. "Now don't be jealous. You know you're the only fish in my sea."

Riku rolled his eyes and took out a notebook. "You girls and your hormones."

I followed suit and pulled out a pen. "So what are your aspirations for this class?"

"I'd really like to know if there's more than one way to skin a cat."

"Well you'll learn soon enough, Riku," a velvety soft and slightly accented voice entered the room.

"Good morning class. I'm Mr. Acosta and I'll be your anatomy teacher for the rest of the semester." Mr. Acosta did only have one hand but damn was he fine as _hell_. Today his luscious raven curls were tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His white shirt was undone a bit at the top. And his black slacks did well to accentuate his long legs and butt. Riku was right. _This_ is why I chose to sit in the middle of the classroom. I had a better vantage point.

0.0

The rest of the class went on without any event. Just girls swooning over our teacher. Some even sneaked in their phone to get a few pictures of him. Our school had a no cell phone policy but I guess it was worth the risk.

The bell rang for our second class. The class practically rushed out the doors. "Here is where we part Golden Child," Riku said.

"I'll see you at lunch, hun."

I turned to walk a far stretch to my locker. I picked up my bag that contained a change of clothes. No one knew I was taking this class but the students in there and I was hoping to keep it that way. I walked outside to the trade school buses. Only this one was going to a different location.

"Hello, Namine. How was your summer?" Ms. Fa asked once I seated myself.

"It was great actually. Even though I worked most of it."

We chatted for the rest of the ride. Things were going great with her hunk of a boyfriend, Shang. I could definitely hear wedding bells in their future.

When we got to our destination everyone, about twenty kids, filed out of the bus and into a decent sized building. Wlaking passed the reception area Ms. Fa chose the third room on the left and walked in. Once everyone changed their clothes and stretched she began.

"Good morning class. My name is Ms. Fa Mulan and I'll be you instructor," she bowed to us. "For those who already know me, I hope you all have been practicing over the summer." She walked over to a stereo and grabbed a remote. Hitting the play button she turned back to us with a smile and said, "And for the rest of you, try to keep up."

_You say it's all in my head. And the things I think just don't make sense_

I'll never tell this to anyone, but I secretly love to dance. And not your typical ballerina, classical type of dancing. From crumping and African styles to the cookie cutter pop moves and hip-hop. I'm nothing special though. It's just something I like doing in my spare time. This was just a great opportunity for me to advance my budding abilities to show off at parties. And I really love Mulan Fa. She is a great teacher. I was also hoping to pitch her class idea: Capoeira.

Last year we had started with contemporary and began to dabble a bit in hip hop. Contemporary was a nice beginning for me. It's as smooth as a flowing river and swift as the wind. But you also have to be able to stop mid move sometimes. It demonstrates a lot of control.

She started with a slow choreo to get our blood pumping.

_I'm starting to find myself feeling that way too_

_When you grace me with your cold shoulder_

_Whenever you look at me I wish I was her_

_You shower me with words made of knives_

_Whenever you look at me I wish I was her_

The song played on repeat about three times before the newcomers got the hang of the freestyle routine. Ms. Fa finally hit the stop button. I caught my breath. _I need to work out a bit more._

"That was a great warm-up," at that some of the class groaned. She was a lithe petite thing. Only five feet with her shoulder length black hair. Today she was wearing blue capri tights and a yellow shirt with a red vest. She always dressed dance ready.

"Take a quick water break and stretch if you need to," she advised us.

We spent the rest of the class learning some basic moves. A delicate arm swoop, extending our bodies without falling or losing balance. Our homework was to practice a barrel roll.

By the time we got back on the bus we were exhausted. I was glad I had yoga for my next class. Master Eraqus had a nice calm demeanor. Well at least in that class.

Practically running off the bus I headed towards the classroom. I really didn't want to change out of my comfortable black capris. Oh well, everyone would just have to deal with my funk for an hour.

Master Eraqus' hair always astonished me. How did he get it like that? Did he use any gel? Did he stick his hand in a socket? But I dare not ask these questions to his face.

"Namaste, Odayaka."

"Namaste Sifu," I bowed lightly.

"You just came from Ms. Fa's class."

"How did you know that?"

"A teacher notices many things if he is observant." He was weirdly perceptive and intuitive.

I lifted an eyebrow and said, "Ok."

Walking to the back of the class I rolled out my yoga mat. Luckily I wasn't late and I had my pick of spots. Master Eraqus was all about things being done in a timely and orderly matter.

"Hey Nami!" someone said to my left. I turned and saw one of my inside sources.

"Selphie, darling how are you?"

She was wearing a pair of yellow Lulu Lemon pants and a white crop top. Selphie was known as the school Gossip although she did contribute many a stories to the schools paper (Yonkers Times). Makeup tutorials were her specialty. But the little bits of gossip she dropped were like setting off an atomic bomb. It caused more rumors to pop up and in turn increase the newspaper demands. (It only cost $1 to read the paper, but sales were usually through the roof) The chaos that ensues is immeasurable but amazing. I know that sounds a bit morbid but that's just how I view it. It's like watching a masterpiece unfolding.

"Oh you know, same old thing." She laid down her bright yellow mat next to my black one. We sat down and did a couple of stretches to warm up. I sent Kairi a quick text asking her to get my lunch from my locker and to meet me outside the girl's locker room before lunch.

"I've been trying to think of some new things to put in the paper, but I'm not getting anything," she broke the silence.

"Maybe we can do a poll or something to see what the readers would like."

"That's actually a great idea!" her face lit up. "So how was your summer?"

"Sort of uneventful. I worked so many hours at the pizza shop."

"I thought you were working at that spa in Bedford."

"I work there too," I replied.

"Wow you _were_ really busy." I nodded. If there was one good thing I took from my father it was his work ethic. I didn't really need to work. My mother was a PRN, my father worked in a lucrative business, and both of my grandparents were well off. But in return for working, I learned how to make a slammin New York pizza and learned how to deal with idiots- I mean people.

"You know me. Namine the Workaholic."

"I also saw you partying it up a lot."

"You know… all work and no play." We laughed.

Class consisted of free poses, warrior stretches, downwards dogs, lunges, and cobra rises. This was exactly what I needed after dance, to stretch out my sore muscles. Master Eraqus let us out ten minutes earlier than the bell and I headed to the gym showers with Selphie. Thank God we have separate stalls. I was all about privacy and couldn't fathom showering in a huge open space with other girls. I was talking to Selphie through the curtain. I tied my hair into a bun and quickly rinsed the sweat off my skin.

"So you and Riku, huh?" She asked.

"Oh no, not you too." Of all the people I would've thought Selphie knew better.

"So you're not a thing?"

"No."

"Well it sure seems like it. You're always all over each other."

"I promise that we're just good friends."

There was a short silence. "Well I definitely believe you, but I don't think anyone else thinks so."

"Eh whatever. I don't really care what anyone else thinks."

"You care what I think?" she asked. "Awww I'm important to you~" Selphie gushed.

"Ugh, you're such a girl," I replied.

0.0

After my shower I quickly dried off and got dressed. Kairi was waiting for me outside.

"Hi sweetness," I greeted her but she completely bypassed me.

"Selphie!"

"Kairi!"

They hugged.

If I could, I would've sweat dropped right then. "Ok I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. But I'll take this, thank you." I took my lunch bag from Kairi.

They walked arm in arm with me to the cafeteria, chatting about who knows what. I'm glad the gym and cafeteria were on the same floor. It could get pretty wild in the café. Hungry teenagers are **not** a pretty sight. It was a jungle. I spotted a silver head in the sea of other students.

Grabbing his arm I asked, "Did you pack your lunch today?"

"No. Why don't you grab us some seats and I'll meet you there."

"Ok," I released him. With Kairi and Selphie in tow, I chose a table close to the windows. Today was exceptionally nice and the scene outside was pretty. Hayner and Olette were already sitting there.

"Hey you guys," I greeted them while taking a seat.

"Hello Namine, Selphie…and who is this?" Olette asked with a smile.

"My sister Kairi. Kairi this is Hayner and Olette," I introduced them. Kairi sat on my left while Selphie took a seat next to her.

"Do you play Halo?" Hayner asked.

"Yeah I do!" Kairi exclaimed.

They started to talk about first person shooting, and better graphics or something. They were in their own world now. Trust Hayner to meet someone for the first time and ask them if they played a video game. I guess that was his icebreaker.

I began to open my lunch bag and place small containers on the table. I placed a paper plate in front of Kairi and myself and spooned food onto them.

Kairi turned from her conversation and asked, "Did Mom make this?"

"Yes, she did," I smiled. Nothing made me happier than Mom's cooking.

"You and your weird food," Hayner said.

"Ain't nobody ask for your comment. Just be sad and eat your hamburger or whatever that is," I retorted. I was having curry and roti. Mom made potato, pumpkin, spinach and some rice to go with it. Eating with your hands is the best. It just makes the food taste better.

"Oh is that the seven curry you were talking about?" Olette asked.

"Yes." I stopped a minute to pray over my food before stuffing my face. Just then Riku sat down with his tray.

"Whas thaf," I said with a mouthful.

"Ew Namine. That's not very ladylike," Selphie said.

Riku chuckled. "Beef stroganoff and some applesauce." He was used to my borderline disgusting eating habits. I'm not the cookie cutter princess that most people see on their first glimpse of me. I eat like a pig. Shoveling food into my mouth, burping, slurping. Eating with me is not for the weak of heart.

"Woosh goo," I told him.

A few minutes later Yuffie and Sora joined us. "Aww man. Mom packed you lunch!" Yuffie said.

"Want some?" I offered her some roti with chana. She chomped down and almost took my hand with her. "If you were here this morning you would've had some too~"

I looked around at everyone's plates. "Why does everyone have beef stroganoff?"

Just then Isa, Axel, Harlan, and Nala sat down with us. I looked on their plates to see the same thing.

"Brian is making escargot," Axel provided. I cringed. "He's 'trying something new.' "

"The kitchen must be in an uproar," I said. Jacques and Brian were always arguing over what to serve for lunch. Some days it was great and other days I was glad I packed my lunch. I took out some wet wipes from a pocket in my lunch bag. "So much for my manicure," I observed my hand. The once white French tips were now a light shade of yellow. Curry tastes great but it stained everything it touched.

"We can get our nails done this weekend," Selphie said.

"My treat?"

"Yes." She winked knowingly.

"Or do you mean _my_ treat," another voice said. Vanitas sat down directly in front of me.

_Vanitas has been the heart throb of all the girls since he hit puberty in 7__th__ grade. He seems like the silent brooding type because he is a recluse. And because he was my neighbor, I am constantly bombarded with an onslaught of questions from girls who wanted in on his good graces. "Does he like girls with long or short hair?" "What does he look for in a relationship?" "What's his favorite food?" "How does he take his coffee?"_

_This type of work doesn't come without a price. Needless to say I get many freebies in exchange for this information. Trips to spas, shopping sprees to the SoHo district, great vacations to Cabo and Miami, VIP exclusive to every club known to man. What? I'm not a sell-out. Momma needs to take care of herself too._

Those girls were complete Losers. Vanitas was about dateable as I was. Neither of us was into labels or long term relationships. Or relationships in general. They were just wasting their time. But I wasn't going to tell them otherwise.

"I see you settled for the snails," I changed the subject.

"And chocolate cake," he said.

Vanitas knew that I had something to do with the copious amount of coffee he received each morning and the "surprises" on his car and in his locker. But he never said anything really.

"Your mom made curry."

"How can you tell?" I had already packed my lunch bag up.

"Besides the satisfied look on your face? Your hands smell like it." Vanitas was very observant. He was also pretty much destitute in the emotion department, but I could see a hint of a smile on his face.

Everyone was finishing their beef stroganoff with comfortable conversation. Axel asked Little Red, Kairi, and Isa how their first days were going so far.

"What?" Vanitas asked. I had been staring at his plate for the past five minutes.

"Hmm. Can I try one of those snails?"

"And if I say no?"

"I'll take one anyways."

He sighed and picked up one with his fork. Before he could protest I plucked it from the utensil and sucked the snail out of its shell.

"It's pretty good. A little bit too salty though."

"Sometimes I think you should've been born a boy," Axel said.

"But then I wouldn't be able to wear these pretty dresses." I pointed to my black dress with little flowers on it.

"Sometimes I wish I was born a girl," Hayner said suddenly. Everyone stopped and stared at him.

He held up his hands. "Not in a weird way. I mean you get to wear dresses! They're like kilts. A lot of breathing room."

"Yeah, ok dude," Isa supplied.

What the hell….Sometimes I seriously question the things that come out of this kid's mouth.

Just then the bell rang ending Hayner's embarrassment and our hour and a half of food. I had Statistics with Mr. Bagheera next.

"Come on Riku. Time to learn about those curves and slopes. And I don't mean mine." I retracted a moment. Huh, maybe Selphie was right about our relationship.

Riku gave me a 'people are going to get the wrong idea' look as he arched his left eyebrow.

I would definitely need to tone it down. Especially since Mr. Man was trying to get into the good graces of Rinoa. I needed to make sure Kairi was ok though.

Yuffie and Isa were already by her side. "We'll take it from here," Yuffie said and linked arms with Kairi.

"Ok. I'll see you two at practice then." Kairi decided to try out for the volleyball team later. It would be an interesting practice to say the least.

~0~0~

Riku and I walked to the second floor to retrieve our books from our lockers. I put my lunch bag in to take out my camera bag and book bag.

"Time to learn about the infinities presented in the graphs," Riku said in a British accent. I chuckled.

Making it to the class with a few minutes to spare I did a once over of the room. If I sit too far back I won't be able to see the board. If I sit in the middle I have to worry about tall people obstructing my view. I chose a seat in the second row towards the door. Still in the front but I had a nice vantage point.

Statistics pertains to the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. Although if you were to say that to me I'd say 'what' about five times and you'd get frustrated. I absolutely **hated** math, but I liked learning it and loved the teacher even more.

We did some basic graphing of normal planes. I welcomed the warm-up.

It was 2:40 pm and Mr. Bagheera let some of the students go. At our last period, teachers were allowed to release students who had extra-curricular activities after school. Luckily Riku and I were some of those students. Before leaving we chatted up Mr. Bagheera.

"So were you able to visit your parents this summer?" I asked, perched on the edge of his desk.

"Yes and they're doing great. Mamaji started singing again and Babuji is diligently working on his garden." He was always happy to talk about his family. Earlier last year, Mr. Bagheera had to take a short leave of absence to care for his father. It was good to know that he was doing well.

"Sounds like he has a great work ethic," Riku added.

"Oh yes. From a small boy he has been that way." He smiled. "And I hope to see the same in your work this year, Riku. I know you can achieve the highest marks."

"I don't know if I have that potential," Riku said trying to be modest.

"Riku is much smarter than he lets on," I agreed with Mr. Baheera. And it's not only because his father pushes him. They are second generation Japanese immigrants. His grandparents left when times were getting difficult. They didn't have a hard life or anything. Everyday life was just getting a bit dangerous to raise a family. His grandfather was running a large cooperation in Tokyo which he brought over to the States. His father was working for a high ranking government official. So Riku was just determined to do his best.

"I'll see you two tomorrow," Mr. Bagheera smiled.

"Bye."

Once we exited the room I turned to Riku. "We're still meeting after practice," I pointed at him. We walked to the gym together. This time we took the elevator. Only a select few students were allowed passes on here. So we tried to be as discreet as possible.

"Yes, dear I know," he said. He flashed his ID card up to the elevator scanner.

"Well don't sound so happy."

He gave me a pointed look. "I just don't want to mess things up." We stepped onto the elevator and it took us down.

"Riku I'd never steer you wrong. Just don't leave me stranded here."

We walked into the gym. He cracked a small smile. "Wouldn't dream of it. See ya." He walked off to the opposite side of the gym where some guys on the basketball team were doing layups. I wondered how the practice would go if we were sharing the space. The basketball team usually practiced outside. I shrugged and walked into the locker rooms. I like playing volleyball. I'm not amazing at it, but I enjoy it and make an excellent blocker. The coach says that I distract all the girls on the opposing team to no end and I make them cry. Hey, whatever keeps them from hitting the ball.

After changing I made my way to bench to put on my knee pads and sneakers.

"Cute shorts babe." I turned towards the male voice.

"Axel you know you can't be in here," I reprimanded him. I'm glad I changed in one of the bathroom stalls.

"Like that'll stop me."

I shook my head. "What's going on with my story?"

"There's a problem," he walked over to the bench and straddled it. "They're cutting the funds for the art program."

I pulled on both knee pads. "Does that affect the story?"

"Well the school does contribute a ton of dough to them."

"That means that they're nixing the program all together?" The art program at the local library was open to everyone. And the best part about it was that it was free. Kids and adults of all ages could participate in the fun activities that were sponsored by them. The library usually received many donations in art supplies so money was never really an issue.

He nodded, "That's not all. It's going to affect Yonkers High too."

My eyes widened. I knew that we weren't the richest school in Westchester County, but we weren't by definition poor.

He continued. "Music, art, dance-"

"What?" Those were some of my favorite classes. "They can't do that!"

"Well unless we find funding I don't see how they can keep these programs up. I'm just as upset as you," he said.

I started putting on my sneakers. After a moment of silence I spoke. "Can we do something about that?" I was determined to keep these classes where they were. But maybe I could get my story out of it too.

"We could start with raising awareness about it. Then find some way to raise money."

"Get some funding from rich investors," I suggested.

"It's getting them _interested_ in funding us," he scoffed.

"I'm sure we'll think of something," I smiled. I finished lacing my shoes and stood up.

"Go forth and rally the troops!" he stood up and exclaimed.

"Tally ho general!" I responded.

Laughing Axel said, "See ya around kiddo." He ruffled my hair and walked out the back door.

With my camera bag in hand I walked back into the gym. A few members of my volleyball team and some newcomers had already started to practice. There were about twenty faces that I didn't recognize. Taking out my camera I attached the lens to snag some photos. It would be great for yearbook and the newspaper. I wasn't _exactly_ on the yearbook committee, but Pence could always use help. And it was always good to have a happy inside source.

After getting some nice shots, I dismantled the camera and put it into its bag. The coach, Tifa Pyara, walked in.

"Welcome girls." She was wearing a blue t-shirt and black volleyball shorts. "I recognize some of your lovely faces. Some from the current teams we have and some from the practice over the summer. Let me just say that that was just a warm-up. Welcome to the real tryouts," she smiled.

"Let's start with passing the ball around." She divided us into four groups. There was someone from varsity in each group. I was here, as was Yuffie, Jasmine, and Clara. Lucky dogs we were. She had called us last night to ask if we could help with tryouts. I was beginning to regret my decision. While Yuffie was a patient teacher, Jasmine was more…outspoken and short tempered. And I was afraid what would happen if another girl dropped the ball. I could practically see a vein pulsing in her forehead. This was going to be a long afternoon.

0.0

Tryouts started at 3 and didn't end until 4:30. "Thanks for your hard work," Tifa said as we were packing up in the locker room. "I'll have a list posted by tomorrow." We all sighed in relief as she left the room. I walked with Kairi out to the gym.

"So was your first day what you expected it to be?"

"It was nothing special. I definitely didn't expect to get homework though." Her dark blue eyes looked up to me. While Yuffie and I had our mother's brown eyes, Kairi had a strange array of blue and purple in her eyes. I really don't know where she got this trait from but was gorgeous. Still as a pond and dark like the cosmos at night.

"Ursula really creeps me out though." She shivered. "She's definitely off her rocker and the workload is unbelievable."

"Well there's nothing I can do about that one. You'll have her for every science class." I would have her for marine biology next year. I spotted Riku talking to Sora. We walked over there.

"…she would kill me with a harpoon and then display my body to others as a warning," I caught Sora's end of the conversation.

"That sounds brutal," I commented.

"We'll talk later," Riku told him.

"Later man." He started to leave

"See ya, Sora," Kairi waved.

"Bye Kairi…N-Namine," he faltered as he said my name.

"Ready to go?" I grabbed Riku's arm.

"You're gonna break my arm off one of these days."

"I'll just sew it back on."

"Wait for me!" Yuffie cried from behind us.

~0~0~

After we dropped my sisters off at our house, Riku parked on the hill and walked with me to the pizza shop.

"Isn't it kind of taboo to frequent the place of your business?" he asked.

"Not when they make pizza that tastes like this." I bit into a slice and savored the cheesy goodness. "Let's get down to business." _To defeat the Huns. Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons? You're the saddest bunch I've ever met and-_

"Namine stop singing in your head," Riku interrupted me.

"Oh sorry," I laughed. "How do you want approach this? How about stealthy? We can check out her favorite spots, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram-"

"We're not stalking her."

"So I can get in with her besties and-"

"That's too obvious."

"I can get Pence to tail her so-"

"That's just creepy Namine."

"Well dang. I don't know what else to suggest then." _You've already shot down some of my best plans you booger_. I frowned at him and took another bite of my pizza. "You got any better ideas?"

"Why don't I just talk to her?" he said.

"You haven't spoken to her? What were you doing at her cheerleading camp then?"

"I was there for the crowd."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Well let's start there. You can talk to her but don't evaluate her. I don't think she's one of your toys," he gave me a funny look in between bites of his calzone. "If you're sincere about this, be sincere. Don't play it like a game. What does she like? Why does she like it? What does she want to do in the future? Take an interest in who she is as a _person_. Not a girl or a thing with a skirt. A living breathing human being." When I finished Riku looked at me a little awestruck.

"Where did all that come from Namine?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I just figured that's what a girl like her wants. She seems to have her head on straight and is a no nonsense person. She's a lot like you, actually."

"Have _you_ been stalking her?" he said.

"No, you butthead. I'm just observant." This was only the beginning. Our conquests were usually met with a straightforward approach. Narrow down what we're looking for, find a target, assess their traits, and go in for the kill. Ok, well it was straightforward for _us_ I mean. This whole 'getting to know you' process was a bit strange.

As kids we'd done everything together. So this was no different. We were going to do this together. Even if it was a foreign concept. But Riku seemed all in, so I guess I'd have to be too.

0.0

After eating, Riku walked me home and spoke with my mom in our living room for a bit. I went down to the first floor to start on my homework.

Listing the body's organ systems and the main functions: Done

Draw two graphs. First, on our level of serotonin before and after summer break. Second, on our GPAs from last year compared to our expectations for this year: Done

This was the easy part of the year. The students were feeling out their classes and the teachers were waiting for the right moment to drop that bomb on us. I'd be ready though. I stood up from the carpet to stretch.

The first floor of our house was small and simple. As soon as you opened the front door there was a staircase to the left leading up to the second floor. Right underneath that was a door that led to the laundry room in the basement. In the center was a fireplace that we rarely used. To the right was a little apartment that Yuffie and I shared. Once you opened the white French doors there was a living area with a TV in the far right corner. A wine red cushion set bordered the carpet with a cherry oak table in the center. There were five windows around that let enough light in. I shared a room with my sister towards the back and there was a bathroom connected to it. Going passed that, there was a small kitchen with a stove and fridge as well as some cabinets. The room behind that was one we used to store random things. There was a door towards the very back of that room. We sometimes snuck out through there.

I was currently in the living room on the gold and red carpet. Now was a good time as ever to do some yoga stretches. I didn't get a chance to change out of my practice clothes either so my shorts would be riding up my butt in no time. I started with my deep breathing, moving to the waning moon, then settling on the warrior. On my second leg, something tapped my shoulder.

"I'm gonna get going," Riku said.

I straightened up and hugged him. "See ya tomorrow."

"Bye Namine."

After he left I ran into my room and dived onto my bed. It was covered with a deep purple and blue galaxy comforter. I pulled a black and white pillow over my face. I looked over to Yuffie's side of the room.

She was donning her Gatsby paraphernalia. A lamp with gold tassels sat on her black night stand, her red and gold comforter had a unique shine to it, and a poster saying 'I Party with Jay Gatsby' was on her wall. We both went through a little 1920s phase when we read The Great Gatsby. She just never grew out of it.

The scheme for our room was chosen at random. The wall which was the entrance to our room was a metallic black. The wall to our closet was a dark blue. And the walls facing the bathroom and windows were a striking white with a gold design on it.

"Finished your homework?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah, you?" I removed the pillow to speak.

"Nope." I gave her a look.

"You're not going to, are you?"

"Correctamundo."

"It's a wonder you passed your freshman year."

"I know right!" she laughed.

I made my way into the bathroom with clean clothes and showered quickly. Making my way back into our room I changed into shorts and an old t-shirt. My phone whistled.

**Mom: time for dinner**

I looked at the time: **6:12 pm**

I almost wished she hadn't learned how to text. It could be such nuisance during class or when I was busy. But we were having fried rice for dinner. It was all good.

All four of us gathered around the table. Kairi next to me and across the table Yuffie next to Mom.

"You had pizza not too long ago," Kairi said.

"Oh pipe it," I nudged her.

One good thing about living in a house of girls was that we always helped each other. Case and point, after we ate the dinner dishes were washed, dried and put up. The stove and floors were clean. And the leftovers were put into the fridge.

"I'll be in the studio for a bit, girls. Good night." Mom kissed all of us and made her way up to the third floor. She liked to paint in her spare time. That's another thing she thought I'd inherit from her.

"This is where we part Kai," I said. While me and Yuffie had our own apartment on the first floor, Kairi was stuck on the second floor with Mom. Not that it was a _bad_ thing per se. Only if you wanted to stay up 'til the crack of dawn. Or if you decided to sneak out or back in to the house.

"Night Little Red," Yuffie repeated Axel's nickname for her and patted her head. We headed downstairs.

0.0

Later that night I was lying in bed with the covers drawn up. I never went to sleep when I was supposed to. I just ended up playing around on my iPod.

"Do you think Aunt Tifa was being a bit harsh?" Yuffie asked from the bathroom. She was putting on some face scrub.

"Mmmm define harsh," I asked.

"Um…I don't know. Like this was a grueling tryout compared to the others we've been through."

"I know. I'm surprised that one girl didn't cry! Did you hear Jasmine practically yelling at her?" I added.

"She kept hitting the ball outside the bounds," she laughed.

"And then, when we were playing Queen of the Court, there was that poor girl who got hit in the face," I recounted.

"Ow," she cringed. "Her whole face and left eye were red. I felt that one." The water starting running in the sink.

"I guess to have a good team you have to push the players to find the gems. But I don't know what Aunt Tifa is doing."

"She's been the coach for ten years. I'd think she'd know what's best." She turned the bathroom light off. "I just felt sorry for those who were trying out."

"It's not for the weak," I said.

"Definitely not." She plopped onto her bed wearing a pair of pants with little chocobos on them.

"You spent last night at Rikku's."

"How'd you know?"

"Those are her pants. The last time I saw them she was sleeping over here."

"Remind me to give them back to her. She'll throw a fit otherwise," she chuckled.

"Ok." I yawned and turned over. My phone read 9:15. I made sure to set my alarm for 6:30 am and placed it on my nightstand. I guess tryouts really did wear me out.

Yuffie turned off the lamp light and said, "Bonne nuit, ma sœur."

"Bonne nuit." I closed my eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**AN: Well that was a process to write. Let me know how you feel about each character or if you find any mistakes, anything I might have left out or that you're confused about. I have a picture on my DeviantART showing the depiction of the teachers I had in mind.**

**Songs used: For Once in My Life - Stevie Wonder, Cold Shoulder - Adele**

_Sook_


	3. Try Me Out

**Here is chapter dos. I hope this is shorter than the first chapter. I'll try to reduce the size, to give your eyes a break, and to keep my writing flowing semi-smoothly.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except the few I created, or songs used in this fic. Credit goes to Square Enix, Final Fantasy, and Disney. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Try Me Out**

_BGM: Rolling in the Deep, Many Shades of Black - Adele_

The tryout results were posted on the sport's bulletin board at school the next day.

"How did she make it?"

"She's horrible at playing!"

"And so are you, but you're on here."

"I can't believe that tart made varsity. I only made JV!"

I figured that I'd check it out later. Or just wait for someone to tell me who made the cut. Those girls were one insult away from pulling hair and I wouldn't be caught in a cat fight.

I continued my walk with Riku to the library. We had about twenty minutes before homeroom started.

"Please tell me why we're in here." I asked. He picked me up so early that I didn't even have time to make a cup of tea. I would be dragging this morning.

"I told you, I need to figure out a topic for my research paper," Riku supplied.

"Um isn't that three months away?"

"I want to get a head start on it."

"Overachiever." Might as well make good use of this time. I left him to browse the fiction section. I usually had some good finds from there.

I wandered around for a minute or so before I settled on H. _Haddon, Hand, Harris, Hawking, Hawthorne, Hemmingway, Hilton, Hinton, Howard, __Humphries. Jenny Humphries. Hmm. Like the chick from Gossip Girl. _I ran my hand across some books before one caught my eye. It had a lovely orange and pink sunset as the backdrop.

_Oooh Killing Ruby Rose._ I pulled the book from the shelf and read the summary on the inside cover. _Nice shoes, dad died, absent mom…pursuing killers._ Ok I'll take this one.

I looked back up to see a head of light blonde hair through the bookcase. Just then the figure looked up and we locked gazes. I was met with a striking blue. The kind that pierces through you and stops you dead in your tracks.

He smiled at me and I returned it with a wink. _He looks familiar._

"Did you find something other than horror?" Riku chose that moment to interrupt me. I turned to him wearing a 'really, you choose now?' face and shook my head. I turned back to the bookshelf but the lovely blonde was gone.

I sighed. I'm pretty sure I'm bound to see him around.

"It's not horror. It's a mystery book," I said to Riku.

"Oh, that's right you don't like horror and anything scary."

"Damn straight," I said. If there was one thing I absolutely did not do, it was horror. I watched Saw 3 one time and had nightmares for weeks. Although I had a weird obsession with reading and watching horror, I had to cut it out due to my lack of sleep, sanity, and oxygen to my brain.

"She has my fashion sense and brain, but more money."

"Oh what separates the classes," Riku said. He was holding two books on Shakespeare and one on English literature.

"Got what you needed?"

"Yeah, we can check these out?"

As we were checking out the books, Riku leaned on the counter a bit. Then he was making small talk, which he normally doesn't do. Then he flipped his hair slightly and smiled a half grin. Did she just laugh? WAIT A SECOND! He was flirting with Belle. _That's_ why we were in there.

I can't believe he's flirting with her. And he messed up my mojo with that hottie.

"Namine why do you have that look on your face?" Riku asked.

"What look?"

"Like someone stole from you."

"Or lied," I mumbled. "My turn," I pushed Riku away with my hip and placed my book on the counter. Belle is our assistant librarian and one of the English teachers. She's a sweet lady in her mid twenties. Today she was wearing her brown tresses in a top knot. She had blue button up shirt and white pencil skirt. She is a modest dresser but still has a nice style.

"Thank you." I smiled at Belle and I ushered Riku out of the library doors.

"I just need some books for my research paper," I said in a higher pitch and flipped my hair. "Paper my ass. You were getting your flirt on."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Whatever, you have a crush on Belle," I waved his denial away. "Did you take what I said into consideration?"

"About what?"

"You gonna talk to Rinoa today?"

He sighed. "I don't know."

"Why don't we look for her for starters," I gave him a pointed look. He wasn't going to chicken out on me. I spotted some of her friends and began to walk over.

"Hey," I greeted them. Irvine nodded his head in recognition while Ellone and Zell said 'hi.' I didn't need to make up a reason to be there. Quistis was on the newspaper with me.

"You have that story, Odayaka?" Quistis Trepe is a tall blonde with a regal manner and a knack for order. Her hair is usually worn in a high bun with some strands hanging loose in the front. For the most part she is _always_ dressed business casual. "Always dress to impress" is her motto. This was her senior year and she was determined to make this year's paper the best ever.

"Not yet. Something threw a wrench in it. I'm working on it."

"Good. I don't think I can deal with another spread of Selphie showing how to do the perfect smokey eye."

"I know this is a bit cliche but why don't we focus on back to school stuff? Like summer looks for school." I suggested.

Quistis was always ready when it came to that newspaper. She had her tablet out and was tapping away.

"Ways to stay cool _and_ classy. What else you got?" She lifted her eyes to me.

"Well I told Selphie maybe we could do a poll to see what others want to read about."

"That's brilliant," she said. "I don't know why _I_ didn't think about that." Way to give a two sided compliment.

"How was your summer?" I asked to be polite. I was originally here for Riku but I needed to ease my way into this. She answered something about interning at the paper her father worked at and lining up all of her scholarships.

I turned to address Riku and draw him into the conversation but he was nowhere to be found. _What the… He left me._ I groaned internally.

"Where's Rinoa? She's usually with you guys," I said nonchalantly.

"She was supposed to be here but she's a no show. Such a drag. I needed to pull some ideas from her." That was Quistis. All work and no play. It just so happens that she is also the editor of the yearbook. The teacher for that class was so lucky. Quistis was always at the top of her game. She was so organized and meticulous that it made everyone else's jobs easier. I wonder who would take her shining pedestal once she graduated in the spring.

"I'll see you at the meeting later," she said before walking off.

"Hey there. Just the person I was looking for!" All I saw was a flash of blonde before I was tackled to the floor.

"Ow," I managed to whimper out.

"Rikku you can't do that!" I heard Yuna reprimand her.

"Aw Yunnie she's fine," was her answer. I felt her pull me to my feet. I was a little disoriented and still hadn't had my morning tea. I lazily dusted off my red jeans. I really needed that caffeine.

"Can I help you, Rikku?" I asked with a slight slur.

"You need to get a story for the cheerleading team out," she said.

"Ok, what do you have?" I pulled a small notepad and pen from my bag.

"Well…I was hoping you could just, ya know, make something up."

"That's not exactly how it works," I sighed.

I saw Yuna shake her head behind her. "I told you to wait for Rinoa. She had a beautiful idea." Yuna turned to me. "She was talking about getting more funding for the cheer team and in turn the newspaper." I was starting to like the sound of that. It would make Quistis happy to know we were bringing in more revenue. "I think it was something like us doing shows. I don't really remember." She put a finger to her chin.

"Oh wait! I can give you her number and then you can work out the specifics," Rikku spoke up.

"That sounds great," I replied genuinely. I could get their story and get her to talk about Riku.

We pulled out our phones and she gave me Rinoa's number. I entered it in my phone and the bell for homeroom rang.

"See ya later," Rikku called as she dragged Yuna off.

I went to my locker and then walked into Mr. Cogsworth's class. I saw Riku sitting in his usual spot.

"Traitor," I said as I sat next to him.

He started to open his mouth to speak but I cut him off. "Don't even feign ignorance." I pointed a finger at his face. "Even without your presence," I continued, "I got somewhere." I pulled out my phone.

"How did you get her number?" he asked.

"Ah, you are not privy to that information."

"So what do you want me to do, text her?"

"No, but I'll think of something."

~0~0~0~

In human anatomy I ended up paying more attention to Hook's gorgeous face than the parts of the human body. My lack of caffeine was taking a toll. I could kind of tell he knew I wasn't really paying attention. My face was lying in the palm of my left hand and my gaze followed him around the room as he spoke.

"Namine what do you think the most important part of the body is?"

I blinked slowly. "The brain," I said automatically. _I have no idea why that came out._

"Care to elaborate?" he asked.

Without missing a beat I said, "Because it controls everything in the body." I straightened up in my seat. "Shivers, blushing, contractions during birth, adrenaline rushes when you're excited or nervous, pain and nerve senses acting at the drop of a dime. The brain sends signals to each part of the body to create fluids and hormones to produce certain symptoms in each person which also result in stimuli and response. It's quite fascinating." _I hope my bullshitting worked._

He simply looked at me and smiled, "I didn't really look at it that way before. Thank you for sharing Ms. Odayaka."

I'm so glad my mother bestowed all of her nursing knowledge on me. Turns out it was good for something.

A girl to my right raised her hand and blurted out, "The heart is my favorite body part! When you see someone you have a crush on your heart can actually skip a beat." She fluttered her eyelashes.

"Yes, why thank you for that."

I rolled my eyes. Y_ou're trying too hard. _Besides I had already captured his attention.

In dance we turned in our homework. Only I forgot the do mine. So when it was my turn to do a barrel roll, I was the only one standing on the side. Ms. Fa had us do this in small groups so no one would get hurt.

"Is something wrong Namine?" she asked.

I lied. "I'm kind of scared to do this. I don't like falling, and this seems like throwing myself to the floor."

"Here I'll show you," she said with a smile. I almost felt bad for lying to her.

So in front of the entire class, Ms. Fa demonstrated how to do a proper barrel roll. It was simple. It was like doing a tumble roll, but on your side. After your body spun once you quickly picked yourself off the floor. She made me practice this four times with her before she felt like I had finally had it.

"Good job. See it wasn't so hard." She patted my back. I could feel everyone's eyes on me and a blush rise to my cheeks.

After class we rode back to school in silence. Or well at least I did. The students filed out of the bus. Before I could follow suit Ms. Fa stopped me.

"Namine. I know you didn't practice," she said knowingly.

I blushed from embarrassment. I was caught in my lie.

"Next time, just do your homework. Or I'll just have to embarrass you in front of the class again." She laughed.

"I definitely don't want that!" I said as I shook my head.

"You have a lot of potential and I don't want to see you waste it." She offered a small smile and let me go.

I made my way to Master Eraqus' class and told Selphie about the potential story with the cheerleaders.

"Oooh can I please please **please** take their pictures?" She begged.

"Yes, you can," I relinquished the task to her. I really didn't have much of an interest in cheerleading. Girls in short skirts cheering for a team. Not my thing.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Diamonds – Marie Digby_

I didn't have my lunch packed today so I would have to brave the lunch line. I spotted a head of red hair and cut in front of her.

"Hey," Kairi said. "No cuts, no butts, no coconuts."

I rolled my eyes. "Sometimes, kid, you're just too cute." She pouted at this. "Besides, I have seniority rights." I picked up an empty tray and observed the lunch line. I couldn't really see what was behind the foggy glass.

"I have your tea Mademoiselle." I turned to Jacques who was holding a steaming cup out for me.

"Oh thank you Jacques," I said with sincere gratitude. It was a huge cup that smelled like flowers.

"Oh, avez-vous quelque chose de sucré?" I asked. (Do you have something sweet?)

"Doux come vows? Pas cher. Mais j'ai quelque chose que vous allez aimer," he replied. I smiled. (As sweet as you? No my dear. But I have something you will like.)

Chicken and gnocchi soup, buttermilk ravioli, and a chocolate cake with mousse icing. _Oh, yes._ I always trusted Jacques when it came to food. I thanked him and paid for my food.

I wouldn't be sitting with my friends today; I would be forsaking them for a younger class. We even had a table reserved for us. There was a white card sitting in the middle of a table adorning my name in cursive gold letters. _Well that was fancy. I wonder if the other groups have the same same elegant decoration. _I would be having lunch every Tuesday with the Freshmen for the rest of the month.

Kairi sat down next to me. Ventus and Shiki were already at the table. I took this chance to give them my undivided attention. "So have you formed any opinions of your classes yet?"

"Ms. Bengis is…" Ventus started.

"Unbearable," Shiki finished.

"She gave a lot of homework?" I blew on my tea and took a sip. _Ah fresh peony._

"Read an entire chapter and do all of the questions at the end," Ventus said.

"Yeah, she's really hard pressed. I have no idea why." I shrugged a little indifferent to their plight. I saw the exasperated looks on their faces. "Maybe I can look through my old notes to see if I have anything from her class."

"You've no idea how much you would be helping us," Ventus thanked me.

"Don't thank me just yet. You still need to survive this semester," I winked.

They continued to tell me of their first days. American History with Kassab was gloomy; well about as tragic as you can get with pilgrims and Indians. Art was apparently fantastic, Shiki really likes the teacher. Ventus had a chance to make something with Jacques right before lunch started. Shiki had dance with Ms. Fa.

"I didn't know you were into dancing," I said.

"A little. I kind of want to be a contemporary dancer. I'm taking her class for beginners," she replied.

"Mulan will definitely help you with that. Just don't forget to practice," I said recalling my flop earlier today.

The rest of my Freshmen group (Isa Iwo, Nashmeira Alzadaal, Simba Mensah, Harlan Mahoe, Leila Trepe, Midras Tacand, and Louis Segall) arrived shortly after and I proceeded to ask them if they were having any trouble with teachers or homework as well. Isa, Riku's brother, was having a bit of trouble with Master Eraqus. "He's ridiculous about time. I can't stand how perfect he wants our form to be when we shoot a ball. It's just a sport." I chuckled; Riku was the same way when he first met the teacher. I recall him naming Master Eraqus, The Sergeant. He would grow out of it just like his older brother.

Listening to them recount their first, and almost second, day made me think of how I had perceived those teachers and how I had felt as a Freshman. I had gone to school with most of the kids in my class from kindergarten so I wasn't exactly fending for myself. I also had Riku there to compare notes with.

I watched each face light up with enthusiasm for their favorite parts of classes, darken with describing horrid teachers, stopping for jokes in between, and deadpan at ridiculous things other students said and done. It was like watching a mini play with the dramatic energy dripping off of them. A few of the students like Nashmeira and Leila were quiet at first, but I was able to draw them out some.

They say that the first draft is the rough one, and that's exactly what your Freshman year is like. Making the little mistakes and learning from them. I just hope that I can impart some good advice to these baby chicks.

~0~0~0~

Turning in my short homework assignment put a smile on Mr. Lavindra's face. "And this is why I like having you in my class."

"Likewise."

I remembered a good deal from last year's Trigonometry class, so I spent the free time in class helping Riku graph functions.

I didn't have volleyball practice today, but I did have newspaper duties. I parted with Riku at the classroom door. Our math class was on the second floor and I needed to get to the first. I left my locker with my belongings to begin my trek to the newspaper room.

"Hey, Namine," a lax voice said.

"Oh, hey Pence," I smiled.

"I won't bore you with asking about your summer."

"I don't know about that. I never get tired of telling how I spent my summer eating delicious pizza." We laughed and continued our walk to the elevators.

Today Pence was wearing a Lakers jersey with jean shorts. I just loved the bright yellow Nike's he had on. _He still has great style.__  
_

I had known Pence for some time. He was a cute teddy bear. And his passion for photography drew me quickly.

"_There's just no other way to capture the essence of life. And years from now, even after some of these places will be demolished, we can look back at the photos as mementos. But even after the pictures fade we'll still have them in our memory." _

_Hook, line and sinker. I was done for. His mesmerizing hazel eyes revealed a hint of green when he was excited. And I learned quickly how to cause this effect. Although many people thought he was a chunky kid, he was actually all muscle. Underneath his jerseys and over sized tees, he was built like a brick._

_We were together for the summer of our Freshmen year and dated well into the fall semester. A__fter five months I grew bored with him but was struggling to let him go. It was hard for him to accept that I just wasn't the settling, long term relationship type of girl. It broke his heart to tiny bits but over time he healed. I can always count on him to give me the latest scoop on what is going on at our ever prestigious school._

"I have some pictures for you~" I sang.

"Great! I haven't been able to get anything too good."

"School just started so you're not gonna get much right now."

"Yeah, I've just been taking random pictures at the café, in the gym, outside on the lawn. It'll make for good transitions in the newspaper and yearbook."

"I hope I'm not in there."

"Maybe, maybe not," he said. "I can't guarantee anything."

We reached the newspaper room where I was met with a distraught Quistis.

"Have you seen Rinoa?"

"No," I replied. "Have you tried calling her?"

"No why didn't I think of that? How smart and simple. Yes of course I did that," she snapped.

_Pshh no need to get smart._ "Well what is it that you need from her?" My patience was generally very thin.

"She said she had a story or two for me. The quicker we get the ideas the quicker we can form stories that will be ready to put in each issue so we can place other things around it. Then we can arrange every article so they complement each other. It's very important to be ahead of schedule."

"Yes, I see," I said dryly.

"Well why don't you try calling her again from outside? Maybe the reception will be better out in the parking lot," Pence offered.

"Ok," Quistis left the room.

"Is that all it took to get her gone?" someone said.

"We've had to deal with that since fourth period. She's in yearbook too."

"She keeps things in order," said Rosa, a soft spoken blonde.

"Yeah but she's crazy," Terra said.

I walked over to one of the computers. "I'm gonna upload the pictures to the hard drive, kay?"

"Sure. I need to start working on placing mine," Pence replied.

"I also got some pictures of the Freshmen. Most of them are during lunch." I conspicuously took pictures of my Freshmen group. They were laughing and happy; just what we needed.

"It's times like this when I'm glad we only have like thirty minutes in here," Selphie said. "She can be more high strung than _me_ sometimes." We all laughed at that.

I decided to text Rinoa while I had a free moment.

**Me: hey this is Namine. Got your number from Rikku :3 I wanted to talk about the stories you had for the newspaper. Whenever you get a chance just let me know.**

Not even a minute later I got a reply.

**Rinoa: Oh that's right. Why don't we do that after school? Maybe we can go to my house.**

This was going to be easier than I thought. And I wasn't talking about the stories.

**Me: ok how about you meet me at the front of the school at about 3:40?**

**Rinoa: Sounds great. See you then!**

Quistis came back into the room.

"Did you get a response?" I asked.

"No."

The rest of the meeting was spent uploading pictures, talking about some potential ideas, and changing the format as well as materials for the newspaper.

"It'll be more like a magazine. The good thing is that the ink won't run and we'll have vivid pictures," Selphie said.

"And are there drawbacks?" Quistis asked.

"Well," Selphie started. "It'll be a little more costly. But the paper has a beautiful gloss finish."

Quistis got ready to stop her. "But I did find a cheaper brand at the dollar store. Same finish and almost the same quality."

"I like that," Quistis said. You would think for a high school paper being published bimonthly, the cost wouldn't be a problem. Quistis was also studying business and the paper was her chance to manage a small one. How lucky we were.

"Namine what's going on with the library's art program?" Quistis directed at me.

"Well the bad news is-"

"I already don't like the sound of this. We need something positive."

"Well the funding has been cut. Or well there is no funding."

"That's a drat," she typed something on her tablet.

"And they also might be cutting the school's creative arts programs as well," I said in one breath.

At this her head snapped to mine as she exclaimed, "What?! That is simply preposterous!"

"The good news," I interjected, "is that we already started a plan to have a sort of fund raiser." Quistis was on the martial arts team and I could see her karate chopping someone's head off in her rage. She wasn't nice when things didn't go her way and I did not want that energy directed at me.

"Go ahead," she encouraged.

"We could do things like car washes, bake sales, you know the usual?"

"Those will generate only but so much. We need something significant to offset the deficit."

"We could get some wealthy people to donate," I offered.

"Yes. I'll talk to some people at my father's paper. But we need to give these investors a reason to be interested in us."

"They'll be doing it for the greater good," Pence said. He could be so altruistic and optimistic.

"A _real_ reason, Pence. People are not going to give us money out of the goodness of their hearts."

"If they have kids going to this school or if they want their kids to go here, they'll definitely be interested," Selphie added.

"We can pitch to art galleries, patrons of the library, bookstores and the like," Terra added.

"Great people," Quistis said.

"I want Namine to get the story that Rinoa promised, and get more information on the library, get a nice but short summary of their history etcetera, and get some pictures from their regular features as well as crafts projects. Pence I want you to go with Namine and get those shots by the end of the week. Selphie, **please** do something other than makeup. We talked about clothes fitting the summer and school attire. Work with that. Terra, borrow one of the cameras and I want at least ten shots of each sport and a story by Friday. Brother, assist Terra with that and divvy up the work. Rosa, get feedback from twenty students in each grade. We need to know what they want to read, how often, and what they're tired of. I want a well rounded report. Also get some pictures during the cooking and home economics classes."

She stood up and straightened her blazer. "Ok people get to work."

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Fast in My Car – Paramore_

I left the newspaper room with relief. Kairi and Yuffie were waiting for me outside.

"Were you two waiting for me this whole time?" I asked.

"No we were just roaming the halls," Yuffie said.

"Ok. Well I have a story to write."

"Ok?"

"Sorry but you're gonna have to find a ride home."

"What?" Yuffie and Kairi said at the same time.

"You can either take the bus or walk," I offered.

"Ugh that's not realistic Namine," Yuffie said. She didn't really like taking the bus.

"Well Riku has practice today. You could just wait for him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"So it's just the two musketeers today," Yuffie wrapped her arm around Kairi.

"Sorry you're solo today," Kairi spoke up.

"What, why?"

"Oh I have plans with some friends," Kairi said.

"Since when?"

"You're not the only one with friends."

I laughed. "You might wanna go to the gym now and catch Riku before he leaves."

"You guys suck," Yuffie said before she ran off to the gym.

0.0

Rinoa picked me up in front of the school and we drove to her house. Making regular conversation on how crazy Quistis could be I asked why Rinoa ditched her second day.

"I'm just having an off day," she explained.

"I know what you mean."

"Dealing with Quistis wasn't on my to-do list. I was originally dropping by to get my homework, but since you texted me I decided to kill two birds with one stone."

"She was freaking out this afternoon."

Rinoa sighed. "She knows it takes time for a story to be written. And even longer to put together an idea for something. I don't know why she has to have it as soon as the thought leaves your mouth."

"Going with the flow is definitely not Quistis' style."

She pulled into her three door garage. We walked up a short set of stairs that led to her kitchen. As we made our way through the kitchen she picked up two bottles of ice tea and offered me one. I took it while she turned to go into her pantry. It was truly a lovely sight. There were cookies, popcorn, doughnuts, ramen, Sriracha; all the important things. She took a box of shortbread cookies with strawberry jam in the center.

Up to her room we went with our food in tow.

"Ok so we were hoping to raise money for the cheer squad. I would really like to change the designs on the uniforms. They're in need of an upgrade. And dry cleaning is downing our funds." She was sitting in a rolling chair by a desk.

"Ok, go on," I prodded. I had settled comfortably on the floor with the box of cookies close by.

"I was thinking of doing two or three free shows, a teaser if you will. Then have more shows and charge for the tickets, which is where our funding will come from."

I began taking a few notes on my notepad.

"I like the idea of Disney themed dances."

"Sounds good. Have an idea of when you'd start this?"

"I can have the dances down packed and the costumes done in three weeks."

I ate a cookie. Wow she had her stuff in order.

"So maybe we can start with a profile on you, lead into your extracurricular activities and then get into cheerleading and the pitch for profit." Simple and sweet. I put another cookie in my mouth. _It's so sweet and gooey._

"Thish play idea ish goo too." I swallowed before putting another in. "Maybe we should do that for the art programs…" I said under my breath. I started to chew on my third cookie.

"What's going on with art?" Rinoa caught my comment.

"Oh, they're cutting the funding at the library and in turn the creative arts at Yonkers High."

"You're kidding!"

"I wish."

"Well…we have to do _something_ about it. What if we use the same method?"

"We couldn't take the money from your team and offset your goal Rinoa."

"No, I mean it could be a joint effort. This changes things. We can include the entire arts program!"

"So martial arts, dance, band, drama-"

"Cooking, home economics, cheer. We have all of them at our disposal."

"How is the money going to be split?" I asked. I was intrigued at this prospect but we needed to be realistic.

"Once the funds for our new uniforms are met, the rest of the profits can go to the arts."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. I can talk to Minnie tomorrow and we can go from there."

Well this was easier than I thought. Actually this was the only easy part. Getting everyone on the same page for one cause would take a little more effort. At least we had the base for our cause set in stone.

I finished writing my notes and said, "Well I wish you the best of luck in making it to nationals. I know how much that must mean to you."

"Thank you Namine. And I know you're not just saying that because your sister is on the squad."

At this I raised an eyebrow. "Huh…"

She didn't notice my fault. "Yeah Kairi just has a great energy and that's exactly what we were looking for. I can't tell you how many auditions we sat through before we got to her. She just lit up the room. She has rhythm and grace and can already do splits! It took me a whole year to learn how to do that properly."

"Well I can assure you that I give my full support to your team. Sans nepotism of course." We laughed.

I'd have to speak with Kairi when I got home.

* * *

**AN: Well that was a bit difficult to write the first time through. Feedback would be _great._ This was fun to write though. If you feel that anything I've written is misrepresented please let me know.**

**I will be using a variety of characters for teachers, students, and others from the games mentioned in the disclaimer. Cookies to anyone who can guess who's who.**

**Any weird characteristic that I may give Namine is probably one of mine. The eating, the tea, reading, not touching horror with a ten foot pole. It's always easier to draw your writing from real life experiences and that's exactly what I did. However some things are purely pulled out the air.**

**Hope you liked it!**

_Sook_


	4. New Endeavors

**I think this is about due. Its been like three weeks since my last update. I felt like I left you hanging in the last chapter. This is especially for my lone ranger of a reviewer. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: New Endeavors**

~0~0~0~

Rinoa drove me home and I used some of this time to reflect. Since she was the one who came up with the funding idea, she would be one of the pillars for this project. And since I'm on the paper I'll have to pull information from her to see what's going on. More time with her, I'll get to know her better. Now how the heck am I gonna get Riku to step up his game? I felt like I was doing all of the work. I need to get them together somehow. But this wasn't proving to be an easy task.

Once I reached my house I raced up the stairs to the second floor. I saw a wooden pink 'K' on the door I was standing in front of. I was hoping that the resident of the room was in. I opened the door and was nearly knocked over by the scent of lavender. I like the smell of fresh flowers just as much as the next person _dang_ talk about laying it on thick.

"Hey Kai," I greeted my sister. Either her room was too bright or Yuffie and I were living in a dungeon. My eyes took a minute to adjust to the soft pink, lavender, and other pastels in her room. Her walls were a soft shade of baby blue and cotton candy pink; it was done in a cute chevron pattern. She had decided on a nice beach theme.

She had a soft yellow couch towards a window in the left corner. I sat down and moved some of the pillows over to make room. Kairi's room hadn't changed much since she remodeled it three years ago. Save for the couch, her bedspread and some pictures on the walls, it remained the same. Sweet, lovely, and inviting; just like her.

She picked herself off of the sunset blanket on her bed and said, "What's up?"

"I was just getting some info on the cheer squad." I was warming her up for the bomb I was going to drop. "We're doing a story on them for the paper."

"Oh…and d-did you find anything interesting?" she asked as she took a seat by me.

"Yeah we're doing a segment on one of the cheer members. Rinoa was giving me the low down on the new members."

"Really, now?" she said.

"It turns out I know quite a few of them so the article should be easy to write."

"Oh." She chuckled nervously and sweat began to form on her forehead.

It was fun messing around with her but I couldn't stand to see her sweat it out. Literally. "I know you're on the team. Why didn't you say anything Kai?" I saw her release a breath.

"I-I just…"

"I could've taken you to practice and helped you with your routine or whatever it is you do when you tryout. We could've picked out a cute outfit together."

"So you're not mad or disappointed?"

"Of course not. I'm a little sad that you didn't include me in your plans though." She sighed. "I'll support you no matter what Kairi."

"But you and Yuffie-"

"I don't care what we're doing. _We_ like volleyball. Don't feel like you're letting anyone down. We want you to do what makes you happy. And I'll be there at every-" I stopped myself for a moment. "I'll be there at a decent amount of games cheering you on." She smiled.

"Thanks Nami." I hugged her.

"Anything for you kid."

After a minute or two of comfortable silence I spoke again. "Can we turn down the lights in here or something? I'm starting to see spots."

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Stuck on You - Paramore_

Wednesday went as per usual. Class, class, class, FOOD, class, and then practice. Aunt Tifa cut practice short for some odd reason or another. I wasn't exactly complaining. She usually ran us hard during practice.

Even though Kairi made the volleyball team, and varsity at that, she decided not to join. She did try out for the swim team which I was hoping she would make. A redheaded girl in her class tried out as well and I was hoping they would bond. It can get lonely when you're on a sports' team by yourself.

Yuffie had practice for martial arts today also. What would I choose? Watch students break their hands on wood or get the butt of my pants wet? I'm not one to pass up someone making a fool of themselves but I think I'd skip this one.

I don't really care for the chlorine smell but it has a soft comforting feeling to it. I think I'll stick by the bleachers. The dry bleachers. There were only fifteen kids trying out for the swim team this year. One of them I recognized as Harlan Mahoe. I gave him two thumbs up and shouted, "Good luck!" He didn't need luck though; his family was from Hawaii. Swimming was in his blood.

Just like volleyball, the results would be posted the next day.

~0~0~0~

On Thursday we found out that Kairi made the swim team. Yuffie let me know that she also made the martial arts team. I didn't even know she tried out. I could see that Yuffie was beaming with pride.

I felt my phone vibrate during Mr. Lavindra's class.

**Pence: are we gonna take those pics?**

Glad I wasn't the only one procrastinating. Quistis would have our heads if we weren't on schedule.

**Me: at the library, right?**

**Pence: where else :p**

**Me: k. well do you want to meet me by my locker after class?**

**Pence: yeah. you get out early right?**

**Me: yes. I'll see you in a bit. we can catch the 3:15 bus**

**Pence: ok**

Me and Riku walked out of class together. "I have newspaper business to take care of, hun," I told him.

"Alright Goldie. I have practice."

"I'll call you later."

"Maybe I'll surprise you with a visit," he said.

I chuckled, "Ok, later."

0.0

_BGM: Miss Halfway – Anya Marina_

"Pence what are you doing?"

"Taking pictures."

"It's suppose to be on the _program_. Not hot girls. Now stay focused," I scolded him.

"So you agree they're hot. All the more reason to snag these photos while I can." I rubbed my face with my hand. Pence is sweet, but underneath it all he was just like any other guy. A perv.

Thankfully I brought my camera as well. I walked over to a table where a girl about ten years old was doing something with lanyard. I took some pictures of her weaving the brightly colored strings together. The yellow, red, and black colors caught my attention.

"What are you making there?" I asked the girl.

"It's called a cobra." She looked up at me with a smile. "I made some more." She nudged a girl next to her. "She made some stuff too."

It had been a while since I'd done anything with lanyard. I picked up one that had blue, purple, and white strings. "Is this the Chinese staircase?" I asked.

"Yes it is." She paused for a moment. "Do you know how to do a cobra?" she asked.

"No I don't. Can you teach me how?"

So for the next ten minutes, Mandy, taught me how to properly hold the strings once they were woven. The cobra was similar to the staircase. It just required more control and steady hands. My cobra was a bit sloppy though. It looked like it was drunk.

I showed her how to do the box. It was a little tricky because it couldn't be loose or it would look sloppy. It required you to pull on the strings just right. But pull too tight and-

"Fish paste!" I snapped a purple string right out of the design.

"Aww that's ok," the girl comforted me. "You can always make another one."

"It was supposed to be for my sister," I told her. And I didn't really feel like making another.

"Here you can have mine!" Mandy handed me a pink and blue cobra.

"Thank you sweetie. I'll be sure to tell her that a cute little girl gave me this one."

I walked off to another station with my lanyard in my pocket.

A man about thirty years old was walking around a room with students painting on easels. It seemed like they were working on water colors. In the next room there was a small group of kids looking between the ages of five and ten. They were coloring with markers, crayons, and colored pencils.

I guess the library had a small daycare too. I found a guy nearby who looked about my age.

"Is this like a daycare?" I asked.

"Yeah. These kids wait for their parents to get off work, or their older siblings to come pick them up."

"So what's going to happen if all funding for the program is lost?"

"I honestly don't know," he gave a sad smile. "This is more than a daycare. Some of these kids don't have a good environment to go home to. This is an outlet for them to interact with others and take a break from other negative influences." As he continued to tell me about the after school program I felt something strike a chord in me.

I felt like saving this program would be worth more than my selfish desire to get a story or continue my dance lessons. I'd be helping these disadvantaged kids and my community.

0.0

When I made it back home that afternoon Riku did surprise me with a visit.

"Mom set another spot for dinner!" Yuffie yelled from the front door.

We were having chomein.

"I think that's enough ketchup," Yuffie made a disgusted face.

"I figured that you'd be used to my eating habits since you live with me but I guess not." I rolled my eyes and squirted the bottled once more.

Riku took the bottle from my hands and squirted some on his plate too. He looked up to see everyone staring at him. "What, it tastes great."

I picked up this 'disgusting habit' from my Aunt Tifa. The ketchup really did make the chomein taste better. I shoved a forkful in my mouth and chewed.

After the dishes were cleaned and the food was put away Kairi, Yuffie, Riku and myself made our way downstairs. Kairi and Yuffie were playing on our Xbox.

Riku followed me passed the living room to a desk right outside my room. We sat on the two chairs by the desk.

"Well did you find out anything useful?" he asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Why be rewarded when you didn't put in any work?" I asked.

"Did she say anything about me?" He was referring to Rinoa.

"Maybe she did, and maybe she didn't," I said in a Brooklyn accent.

"Did you talk about me at all?"

"WE talked about the important things. My story. The school. The arts programs. You know, the usual." I kept a poker face.

He sighed. "Ok what is it going to take to get you to talk?"

"You come to me **after** I acquire vital information. You ain't put in no work. You didn't even talk to her when the opportunity arose. You gonna catch cold feet every time you see her?" Keeping up the Godfather façade I pulled out a paper from one of the drawers in the cherry wood desk.

"But because I like you kid, I'll lend a helping hand. Here is a little Intel I gathered on her. Some of her favorite stores, hobbies, and her friends of course. The basics. _You_ need to figure out the rest."

"Figure out the rest? You mean talk to her."

"He says 'You mean talk to her.' You think everything can be handed on a silver platter to you? I tell you, you young guys got no respect. I should whack you now and have you swimming with the fishes by dinner time."

"Lucky for me dinner was over an hour ago."

"I can make an appointment for dessert."

We laughed. "Really, thanks Namine."

"You're welcome." I returned to my normal voice. "And no she didn't ask about you cause we didn't talk about you. I actually needed to get my story for the paper."

We spent the next two hours playing Dance Central 3 on the Xbox. Me and Riku teamed up to beat my sisters. I guess Ms. Fa's classes were helping after all.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: I will never let you down – Rita Ora_

Kairi had cheerleading practice on Friday but I didn't feel like waiting around for that long. Riku and I headed straight for my home after Mr. Lavindra's class. I needed to relax.

"Why is it dead in here?" Riku asked as he plopped onto my bed.

"Mom is working a double. She won't be home until tomorrow night." I took a water bottle from the fridge and returned to my room.

"We should do something fun," Riku gave me a knowing look.

"Yeah we should," I smiled in return. I picked up my walkie talkie that was sitting on my vanity. After all these years I still had it.

"Spikes you home?" Static. "Hey Spikes." I tried again.

"Yeah, Yellow Ranger?"

"You doing anything later?" I asked.

"No. What do you have in mind?" Sora asked.

"Let's go clubbing," I smiled.

0.0

I left Riku at my house to pick up Kairi at school. He offered to drive but I figured he could use the rest. He had more practice days than I did this week. I opted to take the bus.

After swiping my metro card I looked for a seat. They were filled with people getting off work and students leaving school. _Aww man_. I'd have to stand. Just when I got to an empty hand rail someone got up from their seat.

"Here you can have mine," he offered.

_The cute blonde._

"Thanks. Hey your name is Cloud, right?" I asked as I took the seat.

He looked down at me with a smile. "Yeah. We had French together last year, Namine." _So that's how I know him._

"Yes. I remember now. You nearly burned down the classroom."

"In my defense there were way too many candles in there. Aaaaand Axel pushed me."

"You sure you just didn't want to get rid of the god awful picture?" Mr. Lumiere had several paintings by French artists adorning his room. But there was this particular one that was horrid. (Guernica by Pablo Picasso)

"Well that could've been my ulterior motive."

We laughed. "You headed home too?" he asked.

"No, actually I'm picking my sister up from school."

"That's thoughtful. Your youngest sibling right? How old is she now, ten?"

I laughed. "No, Kairi's fourteen."

"Oh. I hate to tell you this but I think she's old enough to travel by herself."

"I know. I just wanted to catch the end of her practice." I wasn't really into cheerleading but I'd support Kairi. And no matter how old she got, she'd still be my baby sister.

_I met Cloud in Lumiere's French class last semester. I'm definite what attracted me to him. We look so much alike. His soft blonde spikes emit an angelic glow. He usually has a neutral, unreadable expression. But when he laughs his entire face lights up and brings out the youth in him. It's like he glows with happiness. The only difference between him and I are his piercing blue eyes. They're like the shallow parts of the ocean. Like the calm before a storm. A shining diamond hidden away. And he would be my latest conquest._

We were approaching the school. I pulled on the yellow wire above the window. "Well this is my stop." Should I invite him to the club with us? Nah, this was Riku and Kairi's night. Besides I could only keep up with so many things at once. "See ya around."

"See ya Namine," he nodded to me as the bus stopped and I left through the back doors.

I had about a block to walk to before I arrived at the school. When I finally got there I practically burst through the front doors. "Ahh cool air," I breathed. New York summer's weren't terrible, but you try walking in it. I took my time strolling towards the gym. I hoped that they were practicing in there and not outside.

From outside the gym doors I could hear music playing. It had almost a disco beat to it.

_I've got nothing to confess. It's too easy to be scared sometimes._

I walked through the door.

"Alright now you're gonna bring it in and do a body roll. Ok, now another. Slow it down girls. Now we're gonna transition from the second body roll to this. Remember it's a slower choreo." I could hear Rinoa directing her squad.

_I'm not gonna lie like I don't understand. But it's like the whole world is jumping off the bridge._

I checked my phone; it was four o'clock on the dot. Practice should be over soon. I started to feel a little weird standing off to the side watching them dance. I decided to join their practice.

As soon as the second verse started I was in the front. I copied their 'body rolls' as Rinoa called it. We did some weird thing where we crossed our arms in front of our bodies creating an 'X' and brought our hands up. I continued to follow their routine.

When the song hit the chorus I broke from their routine and did the cabbage patch.

_And this is my confession. Yes, yes. This is me confessing: God bless the sad and selfish. Stay helpless._

_Coz I've always been stronger than that. Hold the weight of the world on my back. It's just love, selfish love. Love selfish love._

I started to do a disco point before some of the girls started laughing.

"All right girls! That's all for this week. Remember to practice and that we have another routine to rehearse on Monday." Rinoa tried to hold back her laughs.

I waved to Rinoa and walked over to Kairi. "I was just about to do the running man. And I would hug you but you're sweaty my dear."

"Sometimes you're too much Namine." She shook her head.

"I know. That's why I have you to balance me out." She picked up her things from the bleachers. "I have a surprise for you." I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

We walked towards Rinoa. "Nice moves Namine. I just may have to recruit you."

"Hah, I could never do that in front of a crowd of people I know. Do you have any plans tonight?" I asked her.

"Other than homework, no."

"Well put on your best dress and dancing shoes. We're going to a club."

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Summerboy – Lady Gaga_

I told Rinoa that I'd meet her outside the entrance of Cielo, a club in the city. I was always on their VIP list.

"But I don't have anything to wear," Riku whined from my bed. He never moved from his spot since I left for Kairi.

"You have clothes here from the last time we went out." I walked into my closet. Hmm… "What about these jeans?" I held out a pair of faded grey skinny jeans.

"I can't see them."

"Get off your butt and come get this then." When he got close enough I thrust the pants onto his face and continued my search. "V-neck or scoop. Mmm we're all gonna be sweaty in there. V-neck it is." I handed Riku a dark blue v-neck.

"Here's a pair of shoes," I gave him a pair of black and blue pair of Nike's.

"We're not leaving for a few hours anyway," Riku mumbled and left my closet.

"Now what am _I_ gonna wear?" I said more to myself.

"So who's going?" Yuffie asked. She was on her bed tapping away at her laptop.

"Axel, Sora, Roxas, Selphie, Larxene, Rikku." I purposely didn't mention Rinoa. I didn't need Riku backing out of my plan early in the game.

"Where's Kairi?" Riku asked from my bed.

"Kairi's coming?" Yuffie asked. We had never taken her to a club before.

"Yeah. I think she's upstairs." Just then the person of interest came bounding down the stairs and into my room.

"Which one?" Kairi had picked out about five outfits and laid them on my bed. They were all cute, fun, and playful. But that was the problem; they were _cute_.

"Um Kai, those are adorable but you can't wear any of them," I said.

"Why not?" she asked with an incredulous look on her face.

"Not fitting attire, love." I looked through her choices. Floral, light pastels, flowy skirts, jean shorts. She did have a nice top. "We can keep this one," I pointed to a flower peplum shirt.

"How do you feel about heels?" I asked her.

"I don't think I'll be able to dance in those."

"Alright take the rest of the clothes back and we'll find something." I turned to look through my closet. The club we're going to has a dress code. It wasn't anything too fancy but you couldn't very well dress like you were going to a house party.

"Yuffie do you have clothes?" I called from the closet.

"I was thinking of your blue ombre top. That's dressy enough," she said. The doorbell rang and Riku went to answer it.

Yuffie was lucky. She could throw together random clothes and have an outfit that worked effortlessly.

"Well since you're not busy you can help Kairi with her makeup." It was only 5:49 but it helped to be ready earlier. I promised Rikku, Rinoa, and Axel that I'd meet them around 9:40 in front of the club. Larxene said she should have no problem getting into Ceilo. She happened to have a way with bouncers. Or cute guys by the door.

"The fun _has_ arrived," Selphie waltzed into my room.

0.0

Yuffie, Kairi, Selphie, and I were dressed and started on our makeup. Sora came over with Roxas at about eight o'clock. "Where's Van?" I asked.

"Skipping out. He says he has a ton of _homework,_" Sora responded.

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "That's always his excuse." Although Sora was part of our crowd that went partying, Vanitas usually declined the offer. He was a more 'stay at home while I read and catch up on my TV shows' kind of teenager. It was no surprise that he often opted to babysit their ten year old sister Xion.

I finished my smokey eye and quickly applied some mascara. Before leaving and locking the front door, I grabbed my black blazer and put on my shoes. We all left my house and headed down the hill to catch the bus.

"You look great Kairi."

"Thanks Sora. You don't look too bad yourself," I replied. He was wearing dark jeans, a white tank that said 'Bad Boy', and black Nike's. His hair was styled in its normal unruliness.

"Well I try," he said modestly while scratching the back of his head.

I always knew that Sora had a crush on me, but I couldn't bring myself to cross that unspoken line. It was like something straight out of an episode of Growing Pains. You don't date your neighbors. And with my current ideals of relationships, I knew things wouldn't end well.

_Growing up he was just the really annoying kid next door. I couldn't stand him. I remember one time we were having a water fight outside and I had slipped on the concrete and scraped my knee. That little booger kept spraying me with the hose until my grandpa came outside to get me._

_Another time he practically forced me to have dinner with him. His parents, Zack and Aerith, weren't home. We were about six or seven. Sora had three younger siblings at the time. We all gathered around his dining room table while I shoveled the macaroni into my mouth in hopes that he would release me from his hold but with no such luck. He wanted to play video games. Thankfully his mom walked in with groceries. "Sora, I need help," she panted. They had two flights of stairs to climb just to get to the door of the house. And his mom was four months pregnant with Xion then. Quickly seizing this opportunity I escaped through the back door._

_Later that night Sora called me on my walkie talkie. "Come in Yellow Ranger."_

"_What is it, Spikes?" I exhaled._

"_Why did you leave in such a hurry? We didn't even get to play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."_

_I could just see him pouting._

"_I didn't feel like playing that again! We play that all the time."_

"_Aww but it's my favorite game." I heard nothing but static on his end. I didn't like that game at all. Sonic the Hedgehog was the absolute best on the Sega Genesis. I couldn't understand why he didn't get that. "Will you come over to play tomorrow?"_

"_We have school."_

"_Ok I'll see you in the morning."_

"_What no-" I didn't want to walk to school with him._

_I couldn't understand why he was he so desperate for my company. I later on realized that he liked me. But I just couldn't bring myself to return his feelings._

He was undeniably gorgeous. Years of cutting our neighbors lawns and playing on the basketball team did his body good. He was fit, not in the body builder way, but he had a thin, strong build.

It was late at night so there were only four or five other people on the bus. We took it all the way to the train station. Once we reached the city, we would have to walk a couple of blocks to the club. Fine with me. I was wearing comfortable black pumps. Sliding my metro card through the carder, I passed through the metal contraption and onto the platform.

I think I did a good job with Kairi's outfit. She was wearing that peplum top with a pair of dark pink pleated shorts, gold ballerina flats, some jewelry and a clutch that matched my own. Hers said 'GOOD GIRL' in light pink letters and was pale white leather.

I straightened my red peplum shirt as a sat down on a seat next to Yuffie. Sure enough, she was wearing my blue ombre off the shoulder shirt paired with a white skirt.

I pulled my phone out of my black 'BAD GIRL' clutch and sent a group text.

**Me: we just got on the subway. I'll see you in about half an hour**

**Axel: got it**

**Rikku: okie dokie**

**Rinoa: ok : )**

Once the train stopped, it let out at West 14th street. We had a long way to go. I had miscalculated where we would end up. We had about two miles to walk. A little out of breath, my party and I made our way to the club's entrance where we met Axel, Rikku, and Rinoa.

I could feel Riku tense beside me. Good, there was no way for him to back out of this.

I approached the bouncer who was holding the red tape.

"Hey Pete."

A heavy set man in his early forties looked at me.

"One of my favorite customers. How are you? School treating you well?" he asked.

"Yes," I smiled.

"This is all of youse?" I nodded. He held a finger to his ear and spoke into a mouth piece I couldn't see. "The Golden One and her party of nine is makin' their way in." He removed the red rope and allowed us through. "Keep up them grades missy. I don't wanna hear you flunkin' out."

"Yes sir," I said. "Tell Peg, Pistol, and P.J. I say hi."

"Will do, Namine. Take care and have fun," he said.

"You know me," I said before walking through the club doors behind my friends.

Passing the threshold I could hear the gasps of astonishment from Kairi, Rinoa, and Rikku. I forgot they hadn't been here before. It was truly a sight to behold. It was an upscale joint but still had regular features that any club would have.

Flashy strobe lights, an amazing DJ who's booth was stationed in the center of the dance floor, and a bar that was located towards the left.

"Welcome to the nightlife Kairi." I turned to look at her awestruck face. This was just what we all needed after our first week back to school. But first things first.

"I need a drink."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it. Shout out to **frankannestein**. T**hank you for reviewing! And thank you to ****SoraxKairi7**** for reviewing the first chapter. **The outfits used in this chapter can be found on my Polyvore page under Collections-At Our Core. The link can be found on my homepage.**

**Songs used Love, Selfish Love – Patrick Stump**

_Sook_


	5. The Chase (Begins)

**Sorry it took so long for this update. And I left it in such a place. Well here it is.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Chase (Begins)**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Hot Issue – 4Minute_

"Can I get a round of shots? Three Orgasms, two Peach Tarts, three Black Russians, two Liquid Marijuanas and four Blowjobs." I said this with the finesse of an experienced drinker.

Rinoa and Kairi gave me a look as the waitress left our booth. I didn't need an ID or my debit card on file. VIP perks were just part of the hookups I had from dishing out what Vanitas' was partial to/fond of.

"What? The key is to start off with small shots. Then work your way up."

"You're gonna drink all that?" Rinoa asked.

"No. It's for the table. Did you eat before you came here?"

They shook their heads no. Oh boy, they'd be drunk by the time we left. I for one can say I ate before I left home.

"_Namine why are you stuffing your face? We're going out later."_

_I swallowed my mouthful of rice. "Exactly. Be prepared."_

"_You eat too much," Kairi said as she rolled her eyes._

_"And you're going to be plastered later."_

_"I don't even understand what you're talking about half of the time."_

"Bottoms up bitches," Axel grabbed a Flaming Nun from the plater the server was holding.

First drink of the night always went down hardest. Everything after was smooth.

"In about an hour can you bring us a white Russian and a list of drinks you have," I smiled sweetly. Jessica, a girl in her twenties with long red hair, was waiting us tonight. She knew me as well as Pete did.

I grabbed a black Russian and downed it. _Mmm just like chocolate milk._

Jessica left the rest of the shots on the table.

"I don't know about you but I'm ready to hit the dance floor." I grabbed Kairi's hand with Yuffie right behind me.

_Yo sexy ladies want par with us. In a the car with us. Them nah war with us._

_In a the club them want flex with us to get next to us_

A Sean Paul song was playing on and we gyrated to the reggae beat. Kairi was looking a little unsure about her movements and I sensed it.

"Think of this as a game. Pretend we're playing Dance Central and you're about defeat Tan." She gave me a weird look. "On the difficult level."

"But this isn't a game Nam."

Sigh. "Let's try this. Remember your choreo from earlier?"

"Yeah."

"Do a body roll but faster. Ok now relax your arms. There you go."

The three of us were on the dance floor for about two more songs before Rinoa joined us. I decided to do a quick survey of where everyone was. Selphie was dancing with us. Larxene was dancing with some guy. Riku was sitting at the table chatting up the waitress. I couldn't find Roxas or Sora. Axel was flirting with a redhead by the bar. I saw her tilt her head back a little and laugh. He worked fast.

_Axel just drips with sex appeal. The gravelly sound of his voice, his flaming head of hair, the air of confidence he commands. They referred to us as the angel and the devil for the short time we spent together. Though I was never sure who took which title._

_It ended mutually. Don't get me wrong, the sex was satisfying and rough and he was an overall fun person to be around. I just had a feeling he had eyes for someone else. I didn't personally believe in love, but I wouldn't be the one to stand in the way of his desires. And as strange as it sounds we're still close. I can always count on him for a pick me up and he can more than likely expect me to bail him out of jail when the time arrives; which is more often than not._

After Call Me Maybe came on I decided it was time for a break. "I can't stand this song," I said to Riku as I sat next to him and threw my blazer down.

"That makes two of us."

"I didn't bring her here so you could sit in the corner. Get out there Tiger." He just stared at the Orgasm and Liquid Marijuana shots that were on the table.

"Do I have to hold your hand too?"

"I'm just waiting for the drinks." I downed a Liquid Marijuana.

Selphie came back to the table. "No I'll wait for the drinks. You guys get out there."

"Don't touch my Russian please," I said as I dragged Riku out of the booth. "Just act how you normally do." We started to dance to a kind of chill song.

_I got the right temperature fah shelter you from the storm_

_Oh lord, gal I got the right tactic to turn you on_

_And girl I wanna be the papa, you can be the mom_

I slowly drew Riku into the small circle we had formed between our friends. Sneakily I turned around and started to dance with Rinoa. Carefully and quickly I maneuvered Rinoa to face Riku. I played it off as nothing and began to dance with Yuffie. Kairi and Rikku were dancing with Sora and Roxas. All that was left to do was to let things take place on their own.

When the waitress arrived with my drink I pulled the straw out and downed half of it. Wow I was thirsty. Everyone soon found their way back into the booth with me. We passed around the drink menu as Jessica waited for our order.

Rinoa pulled on Riku's hand. "Come on. I love this song." As long as the DJ kept playing reggae songs Riku was in good hands. It wasn't that he couldn't dance, but this was his specialty. Reggae and West Indian remixes were all I heard from the moment I was born. And when I was older, Riku and I would dance all over the living room and on my front porch to it. I hoped his nerves wouldn't take over.

"Two whiskey sours," I said as Jessica asked for my order.

"Why two?" Yuffie asked.

"One's for Riku."

It turns out that he **did **need that drink to loosen him up.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: She's a Rebel – Green Day_

We had parted with Larxene at the club. She was going home with the guy she was grinding on earlier.

"You guys I'm hungry," I complained.

"You're always hungry," Yuffie and Rikku said.

"I could go for some food too," Rinoa said.

"Gray's?" Axel looked at me for approval.

"You know me so well."

I could always count on Gray's Papaya for awesome hotdogs. The great thing was that they were open twenty-four hours. Which was great when you left the club at three in the morning. We ordered our dogs and drinks. I put mustard, ketchup, cheese, onions and mushrooms on mine. The steam from the cheese wafted up to my nose and I let out a breath of appreciation.

I sighed after taking a sip of my papaya juice. "Oh that's so refreshing."

Kairi tried to take a bite of mine. I snatched it away from her mouth. "Nope, get your own."

"But I just wanna taste Nami~"

"Here you can have some of mine." Sora offered her a bite to which she took almost half of the hotdog. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

"You should know better than to share food with a drunk Kairi," Yuffie said.

We eventually made it out of the hotdog joint.

"Isss five o'clock you guyssss," Kairi drawled.

"How many drinks did you have?" Yuffie asked.

"This many," she held up eight fingers but kept changing the number.

"Time to go home." I could feel myself start to drag.

"Sleepover at Nami's house!" Axel yelled from behind me.

"What, no. Go to your own home." I felt someone pick me up and on to their back.

"Axel, put me down unless you plan on carrying me to the station." My head was a little fuzzy and I tried to secure my heels.

"I do," was his reply. I adjusted my arms and got comfortable.

Yuffie and Roxas were running in circles around Sora as he walked.

"A sleepover sounds great," chimed in Rikku.

"Well I guess it's settled then," Riku said.

_You traitor._

0.0

_Why is the keyhole moving? Woah, for a second there it kind of looked like the keyhole from Alice in Wonderland. Ha ha with its funny face and huge nose._ I had one hand braced against the door and my other hand fishing around for my house key. Once I found it, it took a few times before the key finally went into the blasted hole. Then it took an insurmountable amount of people to help me turn it.

"Axel you're turning it the wrong way."

"No I'm not. You guys are all turning it the wrong way."

We finally opened the door after twenty minutes of struggling.

"I'm feeling the munchies," I said.

Rikku, Yuffie, and Axel helped me raid the kitchen for quick food. Gray's didn't fill me up as much as I thought it would. So we settled on the living room couches and floor with Nerds, Swedish fish, Peanut M&amp;Ms, Dum Dum pops, and Skittles.

The living room was dark, the only light coming from the TV screen. By the time we returned, Riku had picked out a movie and put it in the DVD player.

I opened my mouth to question what he chose.

"Don't worry it's something great," he reassured me.

I saw a deuce and a three of hearts on the screen and immediately knew what this was.

"Oh look it's a rabbit blowing a trumpet. What going on with that?" Rikku laughed.

_Alice how do you get to wonderland? Over the hill or underland._

_Or just behind the tree_

_When clouds go rolling by. They roll away and leave the sky._

The movie opened with Alice was talking to her teacher. "That's what happens to my brain when I try to do homework," Sora commented.

"You have nothing but nonsense?" Kairi looked up at him.

"All the time," Roxas spoke up.

When Alice fell down the rabbit hole and starting seeing weird things Yuffie said, "No I think this is more what your brain looks like when you try to use it." We laughed.

"Hey you guys. What if flowers could really talk?" Kairi asked once Alice ate something and shrunk down to the size of the flowers.

"Then I guess we'd be forced to talk back to them," Rinoa said. "I'd ask how they smelled so good."

"I wonder if I could eat them. Or boil them in my tea," I said.

"That's torture, and more along Van's line of thinking," Sora said. I nodded.

"Selphie what do you think?" Yuffie asked.

"Selphie?" I said after a long pause of silence. I peered over the coffee table to see that she was curled into a ball and asleep on the floor.

"One down, eight more to go," Axel commented.

~0~0~

_BGM: Hey, Hey Girl – The Virgins_

"_You can learn a lot of things from the flowers. For especially in the month of June. There's a wealth of happiness and romance, all in the golden afternoon."_

_Hmmm who ever that is has an angelic voice._

I tried to turn over to my right but was stuck somehow. _I must have gotten myself tangled in the blanket. _I stretched my right hand over my pillow. _ Well that doesn't feel like my pillow. It's so soft._ I started caressing it. _I wonder if I can get my face that smooth._ Oh wait. This must be a person.

_Hmm...What?!_

I opened my eyes to see Axel's face right in mine. _The hell?_ I craned my neck to my right to see Kairi and Riku were on that side.

_Why the hell are these people in my inner sanctuary? And why my head hurts. At least they took their shoes off._

I felt some weight on my chest and looked down. I slowly pried Axel's hand from my breast. _Nice, Axel. Real nice. _After I removed it he moved it back, this time to my ass and hugged me to him. And as he turned to lie on his back he took me with him.

"Axel," I whispered angrily on his chest. "Let me go."

"But you're so warm and soft." He rubbed his stubble on my face. As much as a turn on that was I needed to get out of his grasp. I tickled his sides.

I landed on the floor with a thud. "Ow, you jerk."

"You hit my sweet spot, Sugar. Deal." He turned back over to sleep.

I got up and fixed my cotton shorts. _When did I change my clothes?_ I looked over to Yuffie's bed. She was passed out on there with Rinoa and Rikku. Roxas was curled up on the foot of the bed. Selphie must still be on the living room floor.

I walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the smell of bacon. I could feel my mouth watering. Sora was cooking breakfast.

"Was that you singing?" I asked groggily.

"Yeah." He was still wearing his clothes from the club.

"You have a beautiful voice, Sora." Ugh. His name came out rough when I said it. That whole sentence came out like I'd been smoking for ten years.

"Thanks," he said while scrambling the eggs.

"But please don't do it when people around are hung-over," I added.

He had turned to face me. "You know what? A very _unmerry_ unbirthday to Y-O-U," was his reply as he blew the last words into my face. My head rang a little and I held a hand to it. Forget tea; I needed a cup of coffee. The kind that would put hair on your chest. Reaching into the fridge, I pulled out the Dunkin Donuts creamer and milk.

I poured a little of each into a tall cup. Pulling a spoon from a turquoise drawer, I spooned some brown sugar into it and poured myself some coffee. After stirring, I took a long drag of the smell that emitted from the cup. It was heavenly.

I cleared my throat before starting. "So we all party, and yet you're the only one up. And cooking at that. Why pray tell."

"I take good care of my friends," was his response.

"You're too good for us sometimes." I drank some of my coffee. "Since when did you know how strong I liked my coffee?"

"I don't. Riku made that and then went back to sleep."

"He's so weird," I said.

"Who's so weird?" Riku said from behind me.

"Speak of the devil," I said. He gently took my cup from my loose grasp and downed the rest. Well there goes my perfect cup. I went to make another.

"What time is it?" Sora buttered some toast. The clock on the stove read **10:38**.

"What time did we…" I trailed off. My brain wasn't working this morning.

"Yeah what time did we go to sleep?" Kairi said as she walked in the kitchen. Her curls from last night were pressed against one side of her face.

"How did we get in your room? I thought we were watching a movie in the living room," Riku said.

I shrugged. "Selphie must still be in there though."

Kairi and Riku started eating the bacon that Sora had put on a plate. "Why does my head hurt?" Kairi asked.

"Because you drank your weight in liquor," Sora said.

"Uggh," was her reply. Slowly we dragged ourselves into the living room with our bacon and coffee. Only Sora was the right minded one to bring a plate with the rest of the food. By then everyone, save for Selphie, was up.

We all draped ourselves on the couches. I was glad the blinds were closing off the bright morning sun.

"You guys party hard," Rinoa said.

"Go big or go home," I said.

Axel and Rikku were sitting on the floor next to Selphie. Rikku had found a string and was lightly tickling Selphie's face. Axel was holding a strip of bacon from her nose teasingly. They were snickering.

"Then we spend the rest of the weekend recovering," Yuffie said as she took a drink from her cup.

Axel put his mouth right up to Slephie's ear and in a high pitch voice he screamed, "Serpent! Seeeeerpent!"

"Axel I'll kill you!" Selphie bolted up from her spot on the floor to hit Axel on the chest.

"Ow princess. You're almost as bad as Namine."

Everyone knew not to mess with me while I was sleeping. I was like Kyoya from Ouran High Host Club, rightfully dubbed The Demon King. Unless you want something on your person rearranged, leave me to my slumber.

"I think I had one too many shots," Selphie said as she rubbed her eyes.

"You and everyone else," Kairi said into her cup.

0.0

Around noon everyone started to trickle out. Selphie had already left. Roxas and Sora sneaked their way back into their home. Rikku and Rinoa were going to catch the bus home.

"Have a nice walk of shame," I teased Rikku.

She stuck her tongue out at me. "At least I don't look like a chimney sweep." I had makeup smudged on my cheeks. That's what I get for not taking it off before going to bed. How I had enough sense to change my clothes but not take my makeup off is beyond me.

"I'll see you later," she said. She had her chocobo pj's tucked under her arm much to Yuffie's chagrin.

Rinoa had cleaned herself up in the bathroom. "See you at school Nami. Thanks for the dance, Riku," she winked at him.

They both left to catch the 12:25 bus. Riku closed the front door and plopped onto the couch next to me.

"Uh I told you aaaaaand it worked. Thank you." I bowed slightly.

"Oh shut it," he lightly pushed me.

"Oh, is that a blush I see." I pointed at his cheeks.

"So what's on the agenda today?" he changed the subject.

"Nothing. I guess I have to start on my homework. What about you?"

"I promised Isa that I'd hang out with him." Riku ran a hand down his face.

"Hmm not such a smart idea now is it?"

"No not really."

He stayed for another hour to help me clean up the candy scattered on the carpet and wash the breakfast dishes. Before he left he took a pair of sunglasses from my room.

"I'll give these back on Monday. This light is killing my eyes."

I guess _everyone_ was plastered.

After scrubbing the grey eye shadow off my face and showering, my sisters and I sat in our living room upstairs to begin working on our homework.

"What about this?" Kairi pointed to a weird looking rock.

"Ummmm, I think that would be igneous," I said. She needed help with Ursula's demanding homework.

"Ok."

I continued working on graphing a few problems for Statistics. Yuffie was on the Xbox boxing with the computer program.

"Shouldn't you be doing homework too?" Kairi asked her.

"Did it yesterday," she replied.

When it came to getting things done Yuffie was usually on the ball. Kairi and I were the procrastinators in the family. And it drove Mom crazy.

I moved onto human anatomy. Labeling the parts of the body. The vital parts on the epidermis. Some pressure points. The anatomical positions. After a while the words started to blur together. I was done for the day.

After closing the book, I got up from my seat to walk into the kitchen. I opened the fridge door to feel a nice gust of cold air. My stomach growled. "Ok, ok. I'm getting food." I looked through the shelves. Milk, eggs, ice tea, tomatoes, cheese. _What? No leftovers? This is the most empty the fridge has ever been._

"What? There's nothing to eat!" I yelled. I trudged back into the living with a disappointed look on my face.

"We can just make something," Kairi suggested.

"I'm not exactly in a cooking mood."

"Well what takes the least time to cook?"

"At this point I'm about to throw everything into a pot."

"Ok let's do that," Yuffie said.

0.0

Yuffie took out some meat and cleaned it. As Kairi was washing some rice, I started to chop some veggies. After putting the beans, celery, carrots into a bowl I cleared the sink of dishes.

"Whoops," Yuffie dropped a piece of pork on the hardwood floor. She picked it back up and washed it. I was glad in that moment that we didn't wear shoes in the house.

"Sometimes I don't trust her in the kitchen," I said to Kairi. We snickered.

"I heard that." Yuffie turned around and pointed with a knife in her hands.

After putting everything in the pot all that was left to do was wait. I sat on top of the counter.

Yuffie was cooking the pork in a pan. I sprinkled some seasoning onto the meat as she stirred.

"I think we're missing something," she said. She reached into the freezer to pick out a Ziplock bag of red peppers.

"We only need one. Please don't squeeze it." She stirred it into the rice.

"Yeah remember what happened the last time?" Kairi said.

"It was an accident."

"Mom couldn't even eat it. It was so hot," I commented.

"My tongue felt numb."

"You just can't handle spicy well," Yuffie countered.

"No you poisoned our rice," I said.

0.0

_BGM: Love Me – Katy Perry_

"Is it supposed to look like that?" Yuffie asked. We were gathered over the pot of cook-up rice.

"Yes," I nodded

"But its mush."

"I know." I picked the spoon out of the pot to taste it.

"We can't eat that."

"It looks the same way when Mom makes it," I replied.

"Uh Namine, I don't know about that," Kairi said.

I turned to give my sisters a look. "You can eat it or you can STARVE!"

"I hope you made enough pork, Yuffie," came Kairi's reply.

"Ah yes I did," she threw a look over her shoulder. "Something in that pot might crawl out and eat me first though."

I rolled my eyes and proceeded to slice a cucumber. Kairi handed me a bowl.

"At least we have cucumbers and pork to eat!" she laughed.

Mom came home not too long after we cooked. After she changed out of her hospital scrubs we all sat down at the table to eat.

"Oh this smells great!" Mom said as she dipped a spoon into the pot.

I stuck my tongue out at my sisters.

With satisfied stomachs, the four of us went into Mom's studio. Mom painted in her spare time. I guess you could call it a passion of hers. And if not for her amazing nursing skills then she would've pursued the more creative route.

"I want you to just sit there," she said.

"Ok?" I said.

"Be natural." You would think that we would be used to posing for her portraits, but far from it. It was always a weird experience.

"I'm just going to do a rough outline, then I'll go back and paint it later." She sat down at her easel while we sat on the small multicolored couch.

"Did you girls finish your homework?" Mom made conversation as she sketched on the canvas.

"Yup. Although I really don't like my earth science teacher," Kairi said from the right side of the couch.

"Is this the same lady that you had last year, Namine?"

"Yeah."

"She really is cruel," Yuffie added. She had Ursula for Biology. "I'm going to drown under the workload."

"What's Ursula's last name? And Yuffie can you bring your body closer towards the center of the couch?" Mom asked.

"Ow that's my foot," I said from the floor. My torso and head lay on the floor while my legs were on the couch.

"Too bad," Yuffie said as she proceeded to drape her stomach over my legs.

"I'm not sure she has a last name," Kairi said.

"Isn't it something Polynesian?" Yuffie said.

"I thought it was Indonesian."

"Yap."

"No that's the island she's from."

"I bet they're glad she left." We all laughed at that.

"Bengis is her last name," I said.

"That name is familiar," Mom poked her head out from behind the easel.

"Oh my gosh, this is hilarious," I said and held my iPod up for Kairi and Yuffie to see. I was surfing Pinterest.

They busted out laughing and I snorted some. It was a picture from Mulan; the scene right before they meet the match maker and the song is close to ending. The girls were saying 'Please bring honor to me.' Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender was saying 'Please bring honor to us all.' He was decked out in makeup and a hanfu. _Omg this is priceless. _I pinned it.

"Namine can you please look at me?" Mom asked after our laughing fit.

With a goofy smile on my face I turned my head towards her.

"Keep that for a minute." She drew quick strokes against the canvas. "Ok you girls are done."

"So what about Ursula?" I asked sitting up from my spot.

"Oh, Ursula. You know the company your father used to work for?"

"Yeah," we said collectively.

"Well she was fired from there."

"Mr. Triton?" I asked.

"Yes. Something about missing money or misplaced stocks. She was either doing fraudulent work of some sort or giving clients of the business to another company. I can't remember the whole story but it wasn't exactly pretty."

"Well that doesn't really explain why she's such a pain in the ass."

"So she's taking her personal anger out on the students," I said. "That's not fair."

"Have you talked with the principal?" Mom suggested.

"We're not trying to be rats," Yuffie said.

"Well there's only one thing I can advise you to do then. Just stay out of her way. I've met her on several occasions and she's not exactly a person that will osften after time. She has a heart of stone and the demeanor of a starved lion. Make sure you do all that it takes regarding homework and class work. And try not to step on her toes, Yuffie. I know how much of a smart ass you can be."

"Will do," Yuffie saluted.

"And make sure you **do your homework**. I don't need another parent-teacher conference." She directed this at Yuffie again.

I checked my phone: **7:50 pm**. It was 7:50 pm on a Saturday and we were home. Something felt off about this but at the same time it was nice. I had on my comfy sweats, my homework was basically done, and I was surrounded by my family.

"Anyways, I'm surprised you girls are home. Don't have any plans this weekend?" Mom pulled her long waves into a pony tail.

I quickly glanced at Yuffie and Kairi.

"No, not this weekend," Kairi answered for us. "My first week of high school was enough adventure for me."

I smiled. Ah, the secrets sisters kept.

"Why don't we watch a movie?" Mom suggested.

"Oh let's watch Alice in Wonderland," Kairi said. I looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "What? We haven't seen that in a while."

I guess she really was drunk last night if she couldn't recall us watching that.

"I wanna watch Transformers," Yuffie said.

"Which one?" I asked.

"The third one, she responded.

"That one is crap," Mom said.

I laughed at Mom's disproval and her swearing. She wasn't a priss but she didn't exactly have a sailor's mouth. It was almost a treat to see her drop one.

"Why don't _I_ get to choose this time?" Mom suggested.

"Please don't let it be a sappy movie." Yuffie was known as the tomboy of the family. She preferred comedy and action/adventure over anything else.

"It'll be good, I promise."

0.0

"NO. Why did her mom make her marry that old fart?! He was waiting for her! Oh my god no!" my sister cried in outrage.

"Yuffie calm down," Mom hushed her.

"She's right. He's like forty and has three kids," Kairi said in an almost whisper.

"Talk about baby mama drama," Yuffie said.

"She's dead," I said. They all turned to look at me. "What? I saw this one before."

"No more spoilers," Mom wagged her finger at me.

When the movie was over, three of us were in tears. Even Yuffie was crying.

"Why Devdas, why?"

Kairi blew her nose into a tissue and said, "That was so sad, but beautiful."

"I thought the ending was very symbolic with the diya," I said. I was the only one with dry eyes. I'm not sure whether it was because I already saw it or I just didn't feel a personal connection. It _was_ a very sad movie after all.

"You're weird," Yuffie sniffed.

"Well if he wasn't stubborn and didn't listen to his family, and she wasn't prideful and had eloped when they had the chance they wouldn't have ended up like that." Talk about stopping the water works. My mom and sisters turned to look at me.

"That's a little cold," Kairi said.

"Yeah I guess," I shrugged. "I just don't get the whole waiting forever for a person who is supposedly your only true love."

"One day you'll find a person that you'd go to hell and back for," Mom smiled knowingly at me.

"Whatever you say Mom."

I thought that I'd ever have to eat those words.

* * *

**AN: I have been to Gray's Papayas. And while it wasn't **_**all that**_** like my mom raved about, they were still pretty good. Their drinks are great and the toppings are nice. I can't believe that they don't have this place anywhere else. I mean they're open 24/7.**

**If you haven't already you should watch/read the manga Ouran High Host Club. It's a hilarious Japanese manga. But you should watch the subbed version; it's much better.**

**Songs used: Get Busy, Temperature – Sean Paul**

_Sook_


	6. Easy Like Sunday Morning

**This is going to be a short chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Which I seem to be forgetting all the time. I own nothing but the storyline. Enjoy the fifth chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Easy Like Sunday Morning**

~0~0~0~

I woke up Sunday morning with two other bodies next to me.

_Not this again. I just want my bed to myself._

I slowly and carefully removed myself from Kairi and Yuffie. The body heat was just too much. I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Checking my phone I saw that Selphie had texted me.

**Selphie: Ready for our spa day girl?**

**Me: ya when?**

It was only nine in the morning. We had the whole day to pamper ourselves.

**Me: what time did you make the appointment for?**

**Selphie: 10:15 :D**

I spit out the toothpaste from my mouth. Why so early, Selphie?

**Me: ok meet me at my house?**

**Selphie: see you in a bit**

After finishing with my teeth I took a shower. Returning to my room with my robe on, I started to look for something to wear. Shoes? Sandals, easy on easy off. Clothes? Sweats and a tank. Selphie was in my room by the time I came out of the closet. By then Yuffie and Kairi had woken up.

"Where you headed off to?" Yuffie asked.

"The spa," was my reply.

"You wanna come with?" Selphie asked.

"Ugh, no thanks."

"I do," Kairi raised her hand like she was in a classroom.

"Ok get dressed."

Kairi was ready in ten minutes flat. "Well you sure don't waste time," Selphie said.

"I'm going to the spa for free! Of course I'm gonna jump at this." Kairi turned to me "Oh Mom said to pick up milk on our way home."

We took Selphie's car to the Bedford spa. "Why are we here?" I worked there and didn't really want to be there when I didn't have a shift.

"Uh, discount," Was Selphie's reply.

"We could go to _any_ spa in all of Yonkers and you choose the one that I work at," I said.

"Yup," she nodded.

0.0

"Telesco, 10:15," Selphie spewed out.

"Mani-pedi and facials for three?" the receptionist read off of the screen.

"Facials?" My face paled.

"Yeah," she said nonchalantly.

The first time I had a facial was my last time. My acne wasn't the greatest when I was a bit younger and my mom decided to take me to get a facial. All the prepping was nice. Wiping my face with a soft warm cloth. The esthetician put this harmless chemical peel on my face and rinsed it off. My skin was smooth as a baby's bottom. But then she came over with a small set of tools and started picking at my face. It was pure torture.

"Come on it'll be fine," she waved away my anguish.

"Yeah, let's do it," Kairi chimed in. _Well the two of you don't have any pimples to worry about. _My face had cleared up over the years, but I had a couple of spots here and there.

I sighed as Selphie and Kairi dragged me off.

They sat us each in a comfortable chair that had a few controls on the arm. Kairi immediately began to play with the settings. After taking off my shoes, I put my feet on the edges of the tub as it turned on to fill with warm water. I had to hike my sweat pants up a little higher. Kairi and Selphie were smarter and were wearing shorts. I leaned back in my seat and sighed a breath of relief. It was nice to be pampered once in a while.

The nail technicians began to pour some bath salts into each tub of water.

"So what was your take on this weekend, Kai?" I turned to her and asked. She was sitting between Selphie and me.

"It was great. But very draining."

"Ah such is the life of a socialite," Selphie said with cucumbers on her eyes.

"It was your first time at a club. You'll get used to it after a while," I answered her.

"How do you manage to do this every weekend and not exhaust yourself?" She asked.

"We don't party all the time. _I_ know my limits. Selphie is the one who is out all weekend. And Yuffie."

"That explains why she's not home much on the weekends," Kairi said.

I laughed. "Her and Selphie are in almost every picture on my Facebook feed on Fridays and Saturdays. Apparently the party life loves them just as much."

"I think I like house parties better," Kairi said before laying her head back and closing her eyes.

They had cute white cloth flip flops for us to wear after they massaged and lotioned our feet. After our toes and nails were done we were then escorted to another room where our facials would be done.

"Do we really have to do this?" I said not willing to be led to my execution.

"It's already paid for."

"No its not. The Visa gift card is still in my wallet," I said.

"Namine you don't have any breakouts so it should be fine." Selphie tried to reassure me.

I whined in protest.

0.0

"It feels like my face is on fire."

"It can't be that bad," Kairi said.

"You two have clear skin so of course you don't know the pain I'm in." The lady who did my facial took twenties minutes to give my face a 'deep clean.' Then she put this weird liquid that made sizzling noises on my face. A harmless chemical peel my ass.

Selphie pulled into an A&amp;P parking lot.

I put a hand to feel my face. You could practically bake a potato on it.

"You look fine," Kairi said as we exited the car. I grabbed a shopping cart and threw her a look.

"Just milk?" I asked.

"And some potatoes," she giggled.

"Well I am feeling a bit hungry." I hadn't eaten anything since I woke up this morning.

"Some peach Snapple," Kairi placed a box in the cart I was pushing.

"Oooh some strawberry Pop-Tarts!" Selphie threw in a box.

"Chocolate chips."

"Rootbeer."

"Yeah just get a two liter bottle."

"Then we need some vanilla ice cream. Get the very vanilla one."

"Well you guys are just getting all the shopping done. Although, Selphie, you don't live with us," I said.

"Just stocking up for my next visit."

"Ok, well we're running out of chocolate." I picked up some bars of Hersey's with almonds.

"Speaking of which…" We rolled over to the personal care isle where I picked up a box of tampons and some pads.

"What's this," Kairi picked up a pink flowery box. "I've never seen this before."

I chuckled knowingly before Selphie answered, "It's called a douche. You use it to clean your vag." While Selphie and I busted out with laughter at Kairi's expression, Kairi quickly placed the box back. Some of the other shoppers turned to look at us. Oh Kairi, so sweet and innocent.

Finally we reached the milk! I picked up half a gallon for Mom and some Very Vanilla Silk.

"Can we leave now?" I asked. I was dying to put something cool on my face.

"Ugh you're such a baby," Selphie said. "If you had a facial done more often you would be fine now."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, what would help is if I had a needle stuck in my face more often."

~0~0~

_BGM: Friday – IU_

"Finished!" I slammed down the cover of my Anatomy book.

"Took you long enough," Yuffie said from her laptop. We were in the upstairs living room.

"Oh shut up Miss-I-do-my-homework-when-no-one-is-looking."

"And that gives me tons of free time."

"Found your perfect pair of sneaks yet?" I asked.

"No I gave up on that a while ago. I'm designing my own now," she replied.

Kairi came out of her room. "Help me pick out an outfit," she asked us. Yuffie and I walked into Kairi's room.

Her closet space was a bit different from ours. Going towards the door to her small balcony to the right were two low hanging poles that held clothes. There was a small section for shoes.

It was going to be 90 degrees tomorrow and I could already feel the sweat trickle down my face. August was the always the hottest month in Yonkers. I'd be glad when it was over.

"Shorts or a skirt," I advised. "What do you think?" I asked Yuffie.

"Mmm, what Nami said." She was still on her computer.

"You're no help," Kairi stuck her tongue out at her.

I leafed through some shorts. "Denim could be ok. What about these." I picked out a pair of flowy black shorts. "They look comfortable."

"And they won't stick to your butt," Yuffie added.

Kairi picked out a salmon top with the sleeves rolled up. "What about this?"

"That's cute." It was a button up and had a tie toward the bottom of the shirt.

"The rest is up to you."

"Kay, thanks."

0.0

We helped Mom chop up onions and bell peppers for fajitas. As she sautéed them Kairi chopped some chicken while I made the sauce. Mom made some yellow rice with chorizo mixed into it. The smell of cumin and verde sauce filled the kitchen. It only took a few minutes in the oven.

I left the dinner table completely satisfied. And I might have stolen the rest of Mom's margarita on my way out.

As I lay in bed listening to Yuffie talk about volleyball practice, I reflected on this week. The first week really set the tone for the rest of the school year for me. My classes this term were fairly easy and I enjoyed them. Thankfully I had friends in each of my classes.

_On Monday we get to do this all over again. And I might actually be looking forward to it._

* * *

**I really did mean this was going to be short lol. The simple outfit I designed for Namine can be found on my Polyvore account. Check my bio for the link.**

_Sook_


	7. Every Day is a Gift

**Disclaimer: You should know this by now. I don't own anything except for the story line.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: If Each Day is a Gift, Can I Return Monday for Something I Really Like?**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: All I Want is Everything – Victoria justice _

"This isn't the way to school," I drawled. It was Monday morning and my face was pressed against Riku's passenger window.

"We're making a detour. And stop that. You're gonna leave smudges."

"And spit." I was dragging this morning. I stayed up reading too late and fell asleep with the book on my face. Looking at the window I watched the cars rushing to get to work, kids crossing streets, and buses leaving a nasty trail of black smoke behind them. "Why is it that you never drive with your windows open?" I asked.

"Better mileage when you use the AC," he replied.

"Eh I don't believe you." I took a deep breath. "Where are we going?" I asked finally.

"One of your favorite places," Riku smiled.

I saw the Dunkin' Donuts logo above the store as Riku parked.

"Good I need a number one." We made our way out of his car and into the store. My mouth was watering at the smell of fresh powdered doughnuts and strong coffee.

"Hey it'll be my treat," Riku took his wallet out of his pocket.

I looked at him, "Really?"

"Yeah. Think of it as payment for this weekend."

"Well if I knew you would pay me in food, then I would make my services more accessible."

He chuckled. "Two number ones, please."

"Let's see," I browsed the sugary display of goods. "Ooh! I want a Manager's Special." I pointed to a strawberry frosted doughnut with a funky design. "Aaaaaand I want a chocolate glaze."

"Two blueberry cakes."

"You always get that," I said.

"No. The last time I distinctly remember getting a Bavarian crème."

"Which you promptly spat out."

"I think you just suggested that so you could eat what was left."

I scoffed. "I reject that accusation." Although that doughnut _was_ good.

"How would you like your coffee?" the cashier asked us.

"Both with two crèmes, two sugars," Riku recited our regulars.

"I would like two pumps of raspberry and two pumps of white chocolate in mine please," I said.

"Are you still recovering from Friday?" I asked once we got back into his car.

"Yeah, a little. But it was more because of school. Practice ran hard last week."

I sat my coffee in a cup holder to put my seat belt on. "That makes two of us." I straightened my blazer.

"On top of doing homework, I had already promised Isa that I'd play ball with him on Saturday." Riku ran a hand down his face.

"Aww you're such a nice big brother." I pinched his cheek and took a sip of my coffee.

"I'm not the one who travels home then goes all the way back to school for her sister." For some odd reason we always teased each other of how well we took care of our siblings.

"I had ulterior motives," I replied.

"Of course you did."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Hear anything from Rinoa?" I asked.

"We texted a little over the weekend."

"Anything _special_ stick out to you?" This would normally be the time to analyze things said and texts sent. But this case was different so I'd have to be a little different in how I approached it.

He shrugged and handed me his phone. "I don't read into things like you do girls do."

I unlocked the screen and look through his message feed.

_Rinoa: Dancing in crowds is not really my thing_

_Me: Yeah but you're a cheerleader_

_Rinoa: It's a bit different. They're my close friends. When you're in a club you're dancing with strangers._

_Me: I guess I see your point. I just never thought of it that way_

_Rinoa: Do you go to the club often?_

_Me: Usually when Namine goes_

_Rinoa: Well you're a really great dancer. I had fun : )_

_Me: So did I. I didn't know you could handle your liquor so well_

_Rinoa: lol well maybe we can do that again sometime_

"Well she likes you. Clearly she's flirting. And so are you." I nudged his arm.

"Really? But is it 'I want in your pants' flirting or 'I think you're cute' flirting?"

"Well," I started. "She's opening up to you. If she didn't like you or just wanted to hit it and quit it, then she would've just given you short, clipped responses. The more a girl talks the more she wants you to be engaged in the conversation. She wants to get to know you better."

"Wow, you got all of that from a couple of texts."

"It's a gift," I shrugged.

0.0

_BGM: Girls on top - BoA_

I was alert in Hooks class. My hand was raised to answer almost every question. And I blurted some of them out, much to the female students chagrin. Some of the girls were a bit jealous that I was the center of the teacher's attention today. I think my coffee had too many squirts of syrup.

But at least I had sufficient energy for dance. We were starting to learn a few hip hop moves.

"I want you to start with your legs shoulder width apart… now bring your shoulders up like this, while keeping your hands fisted. It's almost like you're hunching or shrugging," Mulan instructed.

"Ok now incorporate this. While you're moving your upper body, take your left leg and bring it behind to your right. Then you will straighten up for a second. Come back down in the shrugging position and move your right leg out."

I had to hand it to Mulan. She was a very patient teacher.

"Let's try this going to our left." She mirrored the move as we moved to our left. I felt a little less awkward and the class looked pretty good.

"Great you guys."

Then we tried a move where we sat our arm like we were marching and pulled it out from our body. Then we brought it up and pulled like we were ringing a bell. It sounded confusing when Mulan said it but it worked out great.

I didn't even bother to shower after yoga class. I practically raced to the lunchroom after Kairi told me that she packed a salad. I didn't pack anything for myself but she offered to share hers. "I have a fruit cup too."

"Um no thanks." I tried to avoid anything too healthy. I joined the lunch line in hopes that Jacques was cooking today. I looked left and right but could not find my favorite chef.

"He's not here," I turned to see Ventus behind me. "He stepped out for lunch."

"Are you kidding? I can't stomach what Brian makes." I made a face.

He chuckled. "He made a little something before he left," Ventus pointed to a deep dish of fries.

"Is there more?" I questioned.

"Cheese."

"Oh thank God for Jacques."

"Amen to dat man. Me can't stomach what dah odda one mek," a deep Caribbean voice said from behind us. He was a tan skinned man with brown dreadlocks that had tints of red. He was about an inch or two taller than me and he had slightly stocky build. Mr. Graham was the school's cooking and drama teacher. He also taught a creative music class which I took last year.

"Well you'll be in for a treat!" one of the servers said. I turned back around. He was wearing a hairnet even though most of his hair was gone or retreating to the sides of his head. Today he had a green bowtie with white polka dots.

"Hey Hatter, can I get some of those fries please?" I asked.

"Alright my dear. One plate or two?" he asked.

"She can only get one," Ventus scoffed.

"Two it is!" Hatter handed me two plates and I stuck my tongue out at Ventus.

"Can I also have some cheese?"

"Only if you answer this question."

"Ooh I love your riddles."

"Oh man, you holdin up de line Hatta," Mr. Graham groaned behind us.

"Just one second," Hatter held a finger up to Mr. Graham. "Ok tell me, why is a raven like a writing desk?"

"They're both black."

"Nope. Good guess though." He poured a ton of melted cheese on my fries.

"Thank you," I smiled. After I paid for my food, I walked over to my normal table with Ventus not too far behind. For some reason Quistis was sitting there.

"You're finally here. Good we need to talk about your story."

"I already emailed it to you this morning."

"Pictures?" She looked at her iPad.

"Pence has them. Any that I took have already been transferred to the hard drive."

"Well I guess I don't have to hound _you_ to get things done. The first paper of the year will be printed Thursday so I might need some of you to stay after school. I've scheduled a meeting for later today."

"I have volleyball practice," was my automatic response.

"I already spoke with Tifa, she says its fine for you to miss some of the practice." She got up from the table with her tablet and PDA. "See you later."

I sighed." Sometimes I wonder why I joined the paper," I spoke to myself.

"You told me it was because you needed more extra curriculars to put on your college apps," Hayner said.

"No, it's part of what she wants to major in," Riku sat next to me.

"I wouldn't have done it if I knew the newspaper head would be like this."

"At least you have all of your work done on time," Olette offered with a point of her fork.

A small bowl of salad was sitting next to her liver and onions. Mashed potatoes and veggies were also on her plate. But the smell of the cooked liver was overpowering.

"What _is_ that God-awful smell?" Axel asked.

"Liver and onions. It's good for you," she said with a smile.

"Good for sending me to an early grave," was his reply.

"Why do you have two plates of fries?" Vanitas asked.

"I opened my big mouth," Ventus said.

"Hatter was just feeling generous." The cheese cooled some so I started to eat with my hands.

"Namine, you just had a manicure!" Selphie ran a hand down the side of her face in exasperation.

~0~0~0~

"Can we please go over some of the problems? I had a little trouble getting the right answers for some of them."

"Alright, we can address that first," Mr. Bagheera said.

I walked to my seat and looked at Riku. "Did you have any trouble with the homework?"

"I half assed it."

I clucked my tongue at him. "And it's only the beginning of the year mon frère. Make haste." _For Prince Ali. Make wayyyy for Prince Ali._

"I'll stop procrastinating when you stop singing in your head."

"I'll never understand how you know when I do that."

"I just know you so well ma soeur."

I spent the remainder of the class picking cheese from under my nails.

0.0

_BGM: Overthinking – Relient K_

After Statistics I rushed to the nearest bathroom to change into my volleyball clothes. I was meeting with the newspaper, but I was hoping it'd be over quickly.

"I need the latest article in by Wednesday afternoon. I don't need to remind you that we're pressed for time people. I reviewed the pictures that Namine and Pence did for the library: nice angles on the art work. And I like how you actually had people in the shots this time." She directed a quick look to Pence.

"Oh and good job and the clothing piece Selphie. Maybe you should do those more often." Quistis sent a smile her way.

"The sports pictures were good. Do you have the article done yet?" she asked Terra.

"Brother is working on it," Terra said.

"And he's not here." Quistis typed something. "I'll have to speak with him. In the meantime I need a brief paragraph on the game this Friday. Can you and Brother handle that?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Rosa what's the four-one-one on the students?"

The small soft spoken blonde said, "It was a nice mixed response, actually. They really liked the 'Get to Know Me' pieces. They want more on the teachers."

"I can write that. Do we have any candidates?"

"Yes five. Um and we need to down grade on the makeup tutorials…" Rosa cast a glance at Selphie.

"I'm getting a bit tired of doing them anyways," she waved it off.

"So we can completely replace that with a 'what to wear' piece. Selphie please figure that out. Oh, Terra make a note of doing an article on a professional athlete. Preferably from this area or state. We also need something artsy to break things up."

"We can have pictures from art students. I also think we could take pictures of some of the graffiti around," Pence said.

"I'll have to clear the latter with the principle first. We don't need any suspensions or expulsions. Anything else Rosa?"

"What's going on in the world was also another hot topic," Rosa said. "Just random tidbits like clothes, food, some of the culture. Maybe we can also have something things like the environment, social problems, crime, things like that."

Quistis tapped away on her iPad. "Ok good. I can handle that." She looked back up and said, "Pence see if you can get someone from the graphics department to make like a little comic or something. We need to appeal to a larger group."

"Can we do an advice column?" Selphie asked.

"I don't see why not. Find a way to work that into the paper. I'll have the rough copy of the paper by tomorrow morning. And hopefully you will all have your articles as promised."

I practically rushed out of the room once the meeting was over. For a ten page newspaper, it sure took a long time. But I wasn't looking where I was going and ran into someone.

"Oh mon cher. Please be careful."

"Sorry Lumiere," I apologized. Alexandre Lumiere was our French teacher. He was reaching his early forties but still had traces of a playboy left behind. He was quite the catch, standing at 6'2 with thick brown curls and a slender frame. He was always dressed to impress. Today he was wearing a pair of black slacks and a grey pin striped vest covered his white shirt and red tie. I straightened myself and asked, "So how has the new semester been treating you?"

"Can't really complain. You know how the new students are. They cannot pronounce their alphabet properly. They would rather take Spanish. Blah blah. It will just take some time to adjust."

"They'll get it soon enough. It's only the second week."

"Oui oui. But you and Cloud were such shining examples that I had high hopes for the others. I do have to tell you though; I was a bit reluctant to let Cloud take French II after he burned down one of my favorite paintings."

"And half of the classroom," I added but was ignored.

"I'm glad Mona was saved!" Yes but thank god that other picture was torched.

"She is a real beauty," I said.

"Yes she is. Well I will let you be on your way. Au revoir Namine."

"Bye Lumiere." I continued my jog to practice. I made it to the gym with ten minutes of practice left.

Aunt Tifa spotted me. "Namine since you're here why don't you teach the girls how to spike."

"Alright." I tried to catch my breath as I walked over to the right edge of the court. The other players were already on the floor. Yuffie tossed me the ball. After I served it I ran to the middle of the court. A girl on the other side hit it back over and it came my way. Readying myself I jumped and knocked the ball into her court. The girl on the other side had little to no reaction time before it hit the floor with a loud _smack_ sound.

"The power is in the palm. Get ready to make the best of ten minutes." I smiled.

0.0

_BGM: If You Can Afford Me – Katy Perry_

We ended up playing for another twenty minutes. Riku was so gracious as to wait for us. Yuffie, Riku, and I left the gym at 4:20. Kairi was waiting for us at Riku's car.

"Hey slowpokes," she waved us over.

"How was practice?" Riku asked as he unlocked the doors. We climbed in.

"It was fun," Kairi practically beamed. Even though they had to practice outside, she was ecstatic. Beats sharing the gym with another practicing team.

When we reached our house we all piled into the living room upstairs to work on homework. I helped Riku with solving for 'x' in the functions.

"First you need to figure out different ways to solve the problem. See this here could be-"

I was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. We all stayed in our spots on the couch and I continued working on the problem. I finally got up after it rang a second time. "Don't everyone get up at once," I said.

Making my way down the stairs I could see a head of black hair through the window of the front door. I opened it to be greeted by Vanitas. "Took you long enough," he said.

"Can I lend you some sugar, neighbor?" I said in a sickeningly sweet voice while batting my eyelashes.

He rolled his eyes. "Sora wants to know if you have Statistics with Bagheera."

"No he can't copy my homework. He'll have to do it on his own."

"I told him."

I held up a finger. "I will, however, help him. For a price."

Sora made his way over to my house so I could tutor both him and Riku at the same time. This proved to be a difficult task seeing as Sora kept making doodles on his graphs and Riku was on his phone texting. When we were finished, Sora turned to me and asked, "So what type of payment do you want?"

"Oh you know me. I'm a simple kind of girl."

0.0

Mom was working a late shift tonight so we all went to Golden Crust for dinner. Riku didn't want to lose his parking spot so we opted to take the bus.

"Lemme get three beef patties, two coco bread, some rice and ox tail. Also these sodas." Sora paid for me and my sisters' meals. "Thank you Reema," I smiled at the cashier. We were regulars here.

We found a table by the front of the store.

"Namine you're expensive," Sora said.

"My service never comes cheap. Who do I look like?"

"What are we eating?" he asked.

Vanitas decided to tag along because he had 'nothing else better' to do. And Sora paid for his food. "It's Jamaican food," he said as he took a forkful of rice.

"And it's great," Yuffie started eating her beef patty.

"Did this actually come from an ox?" Sora asked while poking said meat with a fork.

"Why yes it did." He made a face.

"Oh just try some. Have I ever steered you wrong before?" I never knew Sora to turn down food. Well except when it came to me. After the first time I made curry, he kind of vowed never to touch any food I suggested or made.

It wasn't my fault that I added too much curry powder to the pot. And that he was in the bathroom for the rest of the weekend.

"So what does the rest of your week look like?" Yuffie asked Kairi.

"Well tomorrow we have martial arts practice," Kairi turned to look at me. "Um I was actually wondering…Do you think you can help me with something?" She turned to me when she said this.

"Yeah sure."

"I need a little help with cheerleading." I raised an eyebrow at this. "The choreo that Rinoa came up for this week is a little challenging. I was hoping you could help me polish the moves."

"Um, sure." I never claimed to be a dancer but I'd help her.

After eating, we took the bus back home and walked up the steep hill to my house. I was still wearing my practice clothes and tugged on the hem of the shorts. They were riding up and it was getting a bit uncomfortable. Me and Vanitas were slow walkers and ended up a great distance behind our friends.

"You shouldn't hide the fact that you can dance," Vanitas said once we reached our block.

"What are you talking about?" I was hoping he didn't know I was taking Ms. Fa's class.

"I have Mulan's class with you. You're actually a pretty good dancer." _How did I not notice him? _"Although your form could use some work." I frowned at that.

"And do you want to help me work on my 'form'?"

"Sure," he shrugged.

"Ok then. Tomorrow. My house at 3:30. Don't be late."

"Ok," he shrugged.

Realization struck me when I reached my bedroom.

_Why did I just do that?_

I don't dance in front of people, not even my sisters have seen this side of me. Dancing at the club or parties was a distinct art that I had perfected. I was surrounded by others. But to have someone intently watching your every move was different .

Besides, Tuesday was like my day off. I had the house to myself since Yuffie and Kairi had a martial arts meet. I'm just a very prideful person; which tends to put me in awkward and compromising situations. This would probably be one of them. I sighed.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed.**

_Sook_


	8. Lending A Helping Hand

Do you think the length of the chapters is too long? Am I putting too much information in here? Are you lost yet? Please lemme know.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. I also don't own the characters. Although it would be wonderful to own Riku. I mean come on, it's RIKU. Those beautiful green/aqua eyes. That flawless smooth skin. That lovely build. *clears throat* With that aside, enjoy chapter seven.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Lending a Helping Hand**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Camisado – Panic! At The Disco_

On Tuesday, I left Kairi and Yuffie to chop away at wooden blocks. They both had martial arts practice with Master Eraqus. I wonder how that would go over with Kairi. She was like a delicate flower. Soft, fragile, and didn't do well under pressure. Although she **did** have her strong moments. I mean it completely threw me when she tried out. I hoped it would go well. I ensured that Riku would bring them home afterwards.

That left me to take the bus home. After swiping my metro card I made my way to the back. It seems like most of the seats in the front were taken. A few of my classmates had the same idea and they were filling the bus as well. After I sat down I took a look at my texts. Looks like I had one.

**Rinoa: Hey I spoke to Minnie and she thinks it's a great idea! She spoke to her husband and they can get the band involved. How do you feel about having a live band in some of the performances?**

_Well she worked fast._

**Me: that's great actually. **I had yet to propose my idea to any of the teachers.

**Rinoa: Rikku is getting the drama club involved. We just need to win over Mr. Graham.**

**Me: You know Reno is going to want in on this**

**Rinoa: Yeah…but the two of them fight so much**

I felt someone sit next to me and I turned to face them.

"Hey," I smiled at Cloud. He was truly a breath of fresh air. His eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth and there was a trace of a smile on his lips. The black shirt he wore hugged his chest just right. Was I drooling?

"So what do you think about that?" he asked me. _Was he talking all this time?_

"That sounds pretty good." I hope I wasn't making a fool of myself and agreeing to sell my kidneys on the black market or anything.

"Awesome," he smiled. It was like he fell right out of a Crest commercial. "Lumiere said he wanted to help. He's into working with his hands."

"So he could…" I trailed off.

"I figured he could help with the plays. Costumes, backdrops, that sort of thing."

I quickly got out my notepad and started writing down a few notes.

"Do you know if Reno is helping?" I asked.

"Axel mentioned something to him." Of course, that _is_ his brother. As if their mannerisms and overall personalities weren't a clue to their relation, their hair certainly was.

"Ok, well I can talk to him about the play production." I wrote down _Soften Sebastian first, then tell him about Reno_.

I turned to look at Cloud. "Thanks for your input," I smiled sheepishly at him.

"It's no problem really."

We talked a bit more about some of the teachers who might be willing to help. Before long the bus came to my street. I bid Cloud goodbye and slowly got off the bus. It would be terrible if I took a nosedive onto the asphalt.

As I walked to my house I texted Rinoa back.

**I'll talk to Jacques and Pocahontas and see where it goes. As for Reno, leave him to me.**

0.0

Vanitas was waiting in my living room when I walked through the French doors of my apartment. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I looked up from my phone to see him sitting on my couch.

"Um how did you get in here?" I asked.

"Back door."

"I thought I locked it."

"You did. I picked it."

Dropping my bags on the wood floor I walked over to him.

"I would offer you water or something but you probably helped yourself."

"You're right." He got up and started to push the long couch away from the carpet. I followed his lead by moving the table out of the way.

"I didn't know you liked dance," I made light conversation.

"At first it was just a filler class. They didn't have any open spots in cooking."

"Didn't know you like to cook either."

He shrugged. "Just something I do in my spare time. Whenever Mom isn't around I make dinner. Sora may be the 'oldest' one, but I don't trust him in the kitchen."

I laughed. "Me either."

Once we moved the furniture he stood in front of me and began pointing out my stance.

"Stance. What are we fighting?"

"No, but it's similar." He put his hands on my shoulders. "Your upper body is fine. It's normally tight and solid. But your legs," he lightly touched my leg with his foot, "are weak."

"They are not," I argued. At least he had the decency to take off his shoes. He circled me with his sock clad feet. "How can you even tell that if I'm not even dancing right now?"

He pushed the area at back of my knee and sent me careening forward. I caught myself on my elbows.

"That's how," he said.

"Thanks for the demonstration." He offered me a hand but I waved it off as I got up on my own. "So how do you plan on remedying this?"

"You know how with fire bending, the stance is controlled? It's very disciplined. Just like the martial art that it's modeled after." I was finding out things about Vanitas that I'd never thought about before. _So he's an Avatar fan too. Cool._

I mimicked the fire bending stance that I remembered. Feet spread apart, arms tightly drawn into the body.

"There you go. But dancing, well at least contemporary, is more like water bending. Yet the stance you return to has to be strong and hold your next move. Or you could be easily knocked over."

I straightened. "So let's try this. Just reach ahead." As I reached forward with my right hand Van said, "Really extend your body." He picked up my left leg slowly and I began to wobble.

"Hey, hey don't make me fall," I said as I immediately straightened up.

"Do you trust me?" he asked while looking at me.

I don't know why but I did. So I nodded. I raised my hand out from my body as I allowed Van lifted my left leg.

"The key is control. Right now this is a vulnerable move for you. You're just balancing on your right leg. The more strength you use with that leg, the more control you have. The quicker you bring your foot back down, the quicker you can gain balance." He slowly brought my leg back down. "You have to be poised when executing the move but not falling on your face in the process."

"You know for someone who wasn't exactly into dance to begin with, you sound like you know a good deal."

"I just try my best," he said putting a hand in his pocket.

"So you want to teach me some moves?" I asked.

"Uh sure."

I walked over to the stereo system and put my iPod in the dock. "Pick a genre," I said.

"Surprise me."

"Ok," I chose the song and pressed play.

"I started a little on this song. The choreo I made has a mix of contemporary and hip hop. Although I'm sure the hip hop parts could use some work."

When the singing/slow rapping began I started by reaching both hands out to my right side and bringing them back to me as I did a body roll.

_If I was your girlfriend I'd never let you go. I can take you places you ain't never been before._

_Baby take a chance or you'll never ever know._

_I got money in my hands that I'm really trynna blow._

I did a 'fire bending' stance, slowly pointing out and bringing the hand back in to brush back my hair.

_Swag on you_

_Chillin' by the fire, eatin' fondue_

_Don't know about me but I know about you_

_So say hello to falsetto in three, two_

I spun around, snapped my fingers, and brought my hand down before Vanitas joined. I lightly grabbed the top of my pants and did a little movement with my left foot. Vanitas did this cool thing where he created a wave motion from his leg to his arms and he began slow tutting into the chorus.

Vanitas helped incorporate some hip hop moves. I tripped while trying to do a move and laughed. Vanitas helped me up and we continued.

_And I can be your baby girl and anything you want_

_If I was your girlfriend, I'd never let you go_

We danced through the song four times before I finally hit the pause button.

"You actually did great when it came to the hip hop moves," Vanitas commended me.

"Thanks. Want a drink?" I asked.

"Yeah," he held up his empty water bottle. He followed me into the kitchen.

"So why dance?" I asked.

"It's like…how I can express myself. I know that sounds kind of stupid." He rubbed the back of his head.

"No actually I feel the same. It's a great outlet." I took out a pitcher of ice tea out from the fridge. "If I'm sad, angry, happy I can just dance all my emotions out."

"I know it's like a free therapy session," he said.

I poured the tea into two glasses.

"I just keep my dancing on the DL."

"Why, you're not bad," he took a sip from his cup.

"I don't know. I guess I'm kind of embarrassed." I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

"You shouldn't be," he said plainly.

"If I think too much about it I get anxiety problems."

"Like you feel everyone's eyes watching you?" I nodded.

"Sometimes I have to close my eyes and pretend I'm just dancing alone in my living room."

"Ah you're giving away your coping mechanisms."

"Just don't spill my secrets."

"My lips are sealed." A comfortable silence filled the room. "I'm going home," he announced.

"Homework?" I asked.

"No I already finished it."

I scoffed. "Ugh overachiever."

He smiled. "See ya Namine." Vanitas put his empty cup in the sink and exited out the back door.

"Do I have to do homework?" I was talking to myself. I finished Mr. Lavindra's assignment in class but I still had Mr. Acosta's to do.

Making my way back into the living room I picked through my book bag and plopped onto the love seat. Thankfully, Vanitas had helped me put the furniture back.

_Ok identify the parts of cell. That one is…the mighty mitochondria: powerhouse of the cell. That is the Golgi apparatus. That looks like chloroplast. Is this a plant cell? Wait no. This is human anatomy._

"Why does your face look like you smelled something foul?" Yuffie was home. "Oh, you're doing homework," she answered her own question.

"Yeah," I said absentmindedly.

"At least you have that gorgeous hunk as a teacher."

"Who Mr. Acosta?" Kairi asked.

"Yep."

I returned to my homework. _Ok the easy stuff. Membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, vacuole, nucleus._

"Namine!" Yuffie was waving her hand in my face.

"What?" I said lazily.

"I asked if you wanted to go to Brandy's party this Saturday."

"Uh, no I'm good," I replied.

"Kay," she ruffled my already messy hair.

I finished my homework and made my way into my room. Looking for a change of clothes I saw Yuffie and Kairi sparring.

"Please don't break anything," I begged.

"We won't," came Yuffie's reply as one of her karate medals fell off the wall.

After I showered we went upstairs to eat. As I reached the top of the stairs I could smell tomato and garlic cooking.

"Spaghetti!" I exclaimed.

"I'll make the garlic bread. That last time you did it, it burned," Yuffie said to Kairi.

"Uh, it was not _burned_. It was just a little crispy," Kairi responded.

"So how was work?" I asked Mom once we all sat down.

"Surprisingly easy," she responded. "My patients didn't give me any problems. Although Tina had to have one of her patients sedated." She laughed.

"Is that the same one who bit the male nurse?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah, that's the one." Mom worked in the substance abuse department of Saint John's hospital. It was common for her to come home with stories like patients wrestling each other or throwing chairs at nurses. Sometimes I was concerned for her safety, but she was in this profession for so long that she didn't bat an eyelash at it.

"Did he start another riot?" Kairi asked as she took a forkful of spaghetti.

"No, he was getting into an altercation with another patient."

"Sometimes I wonder why you chose to work in this field," Yuffie asked.

She leaned in a bit as if she were telling us a secret. "I do it for the thrills."

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Midnight City – M83_

The next day Quistis decided on the articles that would make the final cut for the paper. She emailed us each a rough draft of the paper. I pulled it up on my phone to do a once over. Kairi and Yuffie gave their approval from the backseat of Riku's Jag.

I met Rinoa and Rikku by the entrance of the school and showed them the profile page on Rinoa.

"Hey you look pretty good Rinoa!" Rikku said.

"Wow this is great," the person of interest said. There was a bio on her: academics, interests, and cheerleading which led into small run down on the benefit she was doing for the arts. Rinoa was pretty popular so I could count on awareness and support to go up for the fund raiser.

"Yeah you do look nice," Riku said.

At this she smiled. "Thanks." It was amazing how Riku could say little to nothing in that sultry voice of his and have girls fall over him like trees during hurricane season.

Together we walked through the school doors.

Rikku, Irvine, Ellone and Rosa made their way over and we stated talking about the budget cut to be.

"I can't believe this," Irvine said.

"I love my art class," Rosa said. "Pocahontas is just the greatest."

"It's ridiculous that we can't afford basic education," Ellone voiced.

"Yeah, but we're going to take action," Rinoa cut in.

"Do any of you have some ideas?" Rikku asked.

I kind of tuned them out after a while. I discreetly took a slow glance at my surroundings. And I was looking for a particular blonde. I spotted a couple making out by the library doors. Not what I'm looking for. I saw a head of unruly ashen hair but they were too short. No such luck. But after a minute someone else caught my eye. He never could get anywhere with that head of flames.

Over in the senior hall was Axel leaning against a locker. The blonde in front of him was Larxene. Lucky for me, we were close enough that I could overhear their conversation.

"I saw you flirting with that brunette," he says in a hushed voice.

"And you were chattin it up with that fire crotch. Don't think I didn't see Axel." _Ooh is he in for it._

"Oh please. That was nothing," he waved it off. _Wrong move buddy._ Larxene was one of my good friends. I knew her well enough to steer clear of her outrageously short temper that she was known for. It nearly matched Axel's.

"So you think it's ok for you to flirt with someone but not ok for me?" Larxene said. _Don't fall for the bait._

"If you weren't all over that guy maybe I wouldn't be flirting with other girls." _Stupid boy logic._

"You're such an ass Axel," Larxene says as she walks away. Axel rolls his eyes.

I took this opportunity and strolled over to him. "Trouble in paradise?" I asked.

"You've no idea. I need a cig, badly."

"You're really going about this the wrong way."

"Huh?"

"If you like her then let her know. Don't play games with her, Axel."

"That's what she's all about though. Mind games and messing around. She left with a random guy she met at the club."

"Maybe because you were all over that _girl_ at the bar."

"I…" He didn't have anything to say to me. We were together for a good while and I knew him well enough. And he knew that I could see right through any façade he tried to pull.

He sighed. "She's just so confusing." He ran a hand through his hair.

"To be honest with you, both of you are confusing."

"You make it look so easy," Axel said in a small voice.

"What?" I didn't know where this was going.

"Just being with someone." I gave him a confused look. "It's like you have this energy about you that just draws people. And it's not like it's another notch in your bedpost for you, really. You have a natural way with people and you like them for who they are."

"Really? I always thought I sent people running," I chuckled a little. "I think you have me pegged wrong though. I just hit it and quit it when I get bored."

"You just have a special way about the things you do, Nami. Don't try to deny it either. You really have an affinity for seeing passed the exterior." He ruffled my hair a little. "Thanks for trying to 'console' me," he said sincerely with a smile as he walked off.

That was a little odd. Axel was never really one to get serious or deep in conversation. And I wasn't really _trying_ to console him. I'd have to talk to him later.

* * *

**Songs used: Boyfriend - Jeni. I liked this version because it was sorta stripped. And it was much slower than the original. It has a nice mellow vibe to it. It was perfect for a slow contemporary dance and the beat was nice for a hip hop choreo as well.**

****Hit that review button like a whack-a-mole.****

_Sook_


	9. Same Old Story

**I**** figured that my updates are pretty sporadic. So here's another chapter to make up for my absence. I think you would really like to be brought up to date from the last chapter. It gets hard to read a story when you forget what happened last. Between my other story on Wattpad and my busy schedule, it's hard to keep up to date with posting a chapter. Hope this helps.**

_**Recap**_

**_I open up a little_**

"_I didn't know you liked dance."_

"_At first it was just a filler class," Vanitas said._

"_Do you trust me?" he asked while looking at me. _

_I don't know why but I did._

**_Riku gets his subtle mack on_**

"_Yeah you do look nice," Riku said._

_At this Rinoa smiled. "Thanks."_

**_Axel is just being Axel_**

"_I saw you flirting with that brunette," he says to Larxene._

"_And you were chattin it up with that fire crotch."_

"_Trouble in paradise?" I asked._

"_You've no idea._

**_And he gives me some food for thought _**

"_You make it look so easy. You have a natural way with people and you like them for who they are. You really have an affinity for seeing passed the exterior. And I can see passed that whole 'just another notch in my bedpost' attitude."_

* * *

**Chapter 8: Same Old Story, Same Old Song and Dance**

~0~0~0~0~

_BGM: Some – Soyou and Junggigo_

"Axel and Larxene at it again?" Riku asked once we were in homeroom. He noticed I had snuck off from the group.

"Yup. Wonder when they'll just get together and stop complaining about each other."

"When penguins fly," he responded. "Hey did you do Hook's homework?"

"Why do you guys always want to copy my work? Is it really so hard to do your own?"

"Why complain if you're going to give me it anyways?"

"Oh shut up and just take the paper." I was already pulling out a paper from my Anatomy binder and handing to him.

As he hastily copied the answers into his notebook I asked how things were going with Isa. He was in the group of Freshmen I was assigned.

"Did he complain about how boring our tours were?" I asked. Sure I had accompanied them at lunch and shared some know-how about teachers and classes, but I wasn't sure I was connecting with them.

"No. He actually likes you." He huffed. "He didn't even complain about having a class with Ursula. Isa said you helped him out."

"Oh." The notes I gave Ventus must have made its way around. "Does he still have those notes?"

"You gave him notes? From that sea witch's class?" he asked incredulously.

"I know, I know." I tried to shake it off.

"If she finds out it could be the end of you."

"I know," I sighed deeply. "And she would really kill me. Think you can get those notes back for me?"

"I'll see what I can do Nam." He handed me back my Anatomy homework.

"Don't give me excuses. Give me results!" I slammed my fist on the table.

Sadly that caught Mr. Cogsworth's attention.

"Oh Ms. Odayaka please refrain from damaging school property." He went on a tirade of how things were different in his age when he was going to school. And how children used to have respect for other's property. Judging by the ruffles on his shirt and the pocket watch hanging from his jacket, he was from a completely different century.

0.0

"You gonna work your magic on them too?" Riku looked up from his worksheet. We were working on labeling the human cell in Human Anatomy.

"Larxene and Axel?" He nodded. "Um, I'm not sure I wanna touch that with a ten foot pole."

"You're so good at setting people up though."

"I don't ever really do it on purpose," I responded. "And they're a special case. Not even God himself could help those dolts."

"Think about it really. I mean look at Rinoa and I…" Riku trailed off.

"What about you?" I turned to look at him.

"Things are going good," he half smiled. I smiled in return. Well it was nice to know that I succeeded in helping my best friend.

"Promise that you'll name your first kid after me."

"Your first or middle name?"

"Hmm I don't know," I rubbed my chin. "I'll get back to you on that."

"You really are a people person," Riku said.

I grunted in response.

"You have a special way about connecting with others and getting them to see something different. Something out of their perspective," he continued.

I sighed. "You sound like Axel."

Riku raised an eyebrow in question.

"He said the same thing to me earlier."

"All the more reason you should help oh great peacemaker."

I shrugged. "Maybe I'll talk to him. Maybe I won't."

"You _do_ love helping people," he argued.

A small smile graced my lips. "I will never admit that out loud."

0.0

_BGM: Kelvin Jones – Call You Home (MÖWE Bootleg)_

As I got on the bus for Ms. Fa's class, I checked my phone. It was vibrating a lot during Hook's class but I wasn't willing to take the chance of checking it. Too many students had their phones confiscated because of that.

**Rinoa: Do you have anything planned after school?**

**Axel: I'm gonna kill that woman one of these days I swear**

**Rikku: hey, maybe you should do a profile on me next ;D**

**Unknown: Hey it's Cloud. Got your number from Axel. I wanted to talk about the fund raising.**

Although it did work in my favor, I was going to strangle Axel for giving out my number without my consent. I added him to my contacts.

I responded to Rinoa first.** nothing, why?**

Then Cloud.** Have some good ideas?**

**Me: Not if I don't kill you first Axel. I thought we talked about giving my number out randomly.**

I got a quick response to that.

**Axel: uh it wasn't just anyone missy. Besides he wants to help our cause so calm your tits.**

**Me: …if you continue to act like that, then there's no wonder why Larxene can't stand you**

I shook my head and sent Rikku a response. **we'll see about that one. It does have to run by Q first**

**Cloud**: **I spoke to graham about putting on something. Can we meet up to talk about that?**

**Me: ok that sounds good. but when and where?**

**Cloud: I have practice later. Tomorrow looks good for me**

**Me: 4:30. Name a place**

**Cloud: uh what about the library on riverside?**

**Me: sounds good. See you then : )**

Good. That was short, to the point, but not too blatantly rude. It was always tricky mixing business with pleasure.

Rinoa responded back to me.

**Rinoa: we could use some help with cheer choreo. Kairi said you would be willing to help out : )**

_Oh that little booger._

**Me: oh I have volleyball practice today.**

**Rinoa: aww. well maybe we talk at lunch then?**

**Me: sounds good**

I thought back to my conversation with Riku and sent another text to Axel.

**Because I'm feeling very gracious, I think I can spare a minute to help you with the Ice Queen.**

He responded right away. **I knew I like you for a reason ;)**

**Yeah yeah. Don't get too used to it.**

I was starting to rethink this whole having a phone business.

"Seems like someone is a social butterfly," Ms. Fa poked her head up from behind me and rested it on my seat.

"Hah not quite." I looked up at her. "Just a lot going on with the art program. Actually, you could help me out."

"Really?" She smiled.

"Well we're trying to get together all of the instructors so we can have a better shot of raising funds for the art programs."

"I see. So it is true." Wait Mulan knew about this?

"How do you…"

"I overheard some teachers talking about this before school started. I thought it was just some speculation. You'd be surprised at the hot topics go around in the teacher's lounge. With that aside I'd be glad to help. And not just because my class would be in danger." The bus arrived at the dance studio. "Just let me know what I can do." She handed me a business card with her cell number.

I immediately went to in the bathroom to change once we got off of the bus. When I walked back into the room Mulan was addressing the class.

"I know this is only the second week of classes but does anyone have something to share? A new dance move or something cool you'd like to show off?" Mulan paused for a moment to look around the classroom. I had placed my bag in the corner and made my way over to the other dancers.

"This _is_ a creative class. Feel free to express yourselves," she encouraged us. No one made any move. We all just stood there avoiding eye contact with Ms. Fa. Even though I'd been dancing with some of this class since last year, I wasn't exactly up for being put on the spot.

I sensed someone come up behind me and lightly grab my arm. Fear seize me and my entire body was frozen. I looked up to see Vanitas dragging me to the center of the room.

_Oh my god, what is he doing? This is not happening right now. This is not happening. He did __**NOT**__ just volunteer me to dance in front of the class._

It seemed like a lot of things were happening without my consent. I could do nothing but stand still as a statue.

Vanitas walked over to Ms. Fa and said something to her. When he walked back over the song we practiced to yesterday started to play. Vanitas looked over to me.

"I am going to kill you Van," I annunciate with a straight face.

"Shut up and dance," was his response.

When we finished the routine, Mulan clapped lightly. "That was nice you two. Great blend of hip hop and contemporary. I see you improvised a bit at the end. You showed good control of your bodies as well as trusting your partner. Thank you for sharing." She bowed slightly to us.

As we both bowed back, I looked at Vanitas. _I_ didn't think I demonstrated any trust in that dance. I was just doing what came naturally. And I was following Vanitas' lead for the most part. He added so much to the dance from what I already had. So it was easy to watch him and imitate his movements.

We continued class with no further interruptions or surprises. Mulan taught us two more hip hop moves and we incorporated them into a routine.

I hope she could deliver on her promise. I wasn't looking forward to dance on display for the cheer team.

0.0

_BGM: As Long As You Love Me/Wide Awake - Pentatonix_

I started thinking about what Mulan said. I could _definitely_ start practicing more. I was stretching my legs out on my yoga mat. I don't know if dancing with Vanitas was the _best_. I preferred working by myself. Not having to run moves by someone or arguing what would look better in a choreo. Although having a partner could have its benefits. Someone to bounce ideas off of. There was a wider door for dance moves with two people. _Hmm maybe this could work to my benefit._

"So Rinoa is going to start rehearsing the dances or the play or whatever," Selphie said as she stretched next to me.

"Is that why she wants my input?"

"Well Kairi basically guaranteed your appearance this afternoon."

"How do you know?" Selphie wasn't on the cheer squad.

"Yearbook. And I'm also covering it for the newspaper," she answered me.

I chuckled. "Hate to break it to you but I have volleyball practice."

"Aww man."

Once class started we had to whisper. Master Eraqus had us start with small stretches which we worked into simple yoga. We were doing the downward facing dog.

"What if you got out early?" Selphie asked.

"You know Tifa doesn't play when it comes to practice."

I saw her twist her mouth to one side of her face.

"So what's the play about?" I asked.

"I think something like a fairy princess and a frog."

"Ugh," I shook my head. I brought my legs closer to my body and brought myself into a sitting position.

"That's just one of the ideas she told me about."

"Sounds a bit…"

"Ridiculous and cheesy," Selphie finished for me. "Well Rinoa said they have a couple of dances already done." We brought ourselves into a sitting child position.

"Good," I sighed in relief. We wanted to bring in a lot of interest, not have people asking for their money back. "I'll talk to Rinoa at lunch though."

0.0

After getting my lunch Rinoa called me over to her table.

"Where's Quistis?" I asked her. She usually sat here.

"Last minute deats on the paper," Rinoa waved it away.

"So what songs did you have picked out?" I asked before taking a bite of my sub.

"I was thinking of doing something funky and loose. We want to hype people up and get them excited for this. This is the first show after all. And I know you already took Mulan's contemporary class last year. I would love your input with those choreos."

She slid a small piece of paper with songs and some notes written on it.

_california girls – Katy Perry (beach theme, Rikku has some beach balls)_

_blow me one last kiss – Pink _

_hips don't lie – Shakira_

_that's not my name – The Ting Tings (band-borrow old drums)_

_spanish eyes – Ricky Martin (drama-red flowers, those cute flamenco skirts, fans?)_

"Ok I can work with this. I could probably help more with the Shakira song." I didn't exactly know how to belly dance but I liked to shake my hips. These were all fun songs and it seemed like this is exactly what we needed to draw a lot of attention. "Um so what's this about the play? A princess and a frog?" I just had to ask.

"Oh, Rikku pitched that. It's just a rip off of the story." She shook her head.

"I'm not a fan of that idea either," I laughed. "So I spoke to Ms. Fa earlier. She said she would like to help us."

"With the choreo?"

"With everything." Maybe I embellished that fact a little.

"Oh that's great. I can totally pick her brain."

"Glad that I could help."

I went to throw my trash out and return the plastic tray. I saw a spiky head of blonde. "Just the person I was looking for."

"I hope I'm not in trouble," Ventus said.

"Why does everyone think I only go to them when it's something bad? I just need my notes back."

"Oh," Ventus let out a breath. "I just gave them to Isa."

"Well they can't ever reach a teacher's hands. Specifically Ursula." That would not be good. I pulled out my phone to text Isa.

**Me: I don't care if you're my best friend's little brother. I will murder you in your sleep if I don't get those notes from Ms. Bengis' class in a timely fashion. **

I hit the send button before turning back to Ventus.

"You give 'em an inch and they take a mile."

"Eh…" He shrugged and stuck a hand in his pocket.

"It wasn't supposed to leave your hands. Ursula would have my head if she knew I was giving out notes and work from her class." I sighed. "Amateurs." I turned to go back to the table.

0.0

_BGM: Hash Pipe - Weezer_

"Alright girls, last week was the bunny slope. We have games approaching and I need you to give me one hundred and ten percent."

Tifa split us into two groups. We lined up on both sides of the net. Tifa hit the ball to one person in the court. From there the goal was to keep the ball in the air. That girl would hit the ball over the net and to the next girl. Once they hit the ball, they made their way to the end of the line. It was a great way to keep our senses sharp. After the fifth cycle Tifa blew her whistle.

"Alright let's stretch."

I made my way over to Yuffie and sat on the gym floor.

"I feel out of shape," I told Yuffie as I did a butterfly stretch.

"I told you to practice this summer. But did you listen, no," she shook her head.

"I didn't practice for dance either. I'm surprised I'm not a puddle by now."

"You still have a great form though. Better than the new players," Jasmine said with a roll of her eyes. "They need a lot of work."

"No kidding," Yuffie said.

"Well Tifa is working us all pretty hard. If we're not in shape by the first games I'm not sure how she's gonna take it," I said.

"I think they might be intimidated by her," Yuffie speculated.

"Well that's tough. She's the coach," Jasmine laughed.

"Why don't we have a practice session _without_ Tifa," Yuffie suggested.

"And who would be leading that?" I asked. Tifa not only possessed respect and authority, but was a great leader. Even if some people were put off by her confidence and the way she commanded attention, she helped us balance our strengths and strengthen our weaknesses.

"Maybe **we** can do something," Jasmine said.

"Oh no no no. _You_ _two_ can do something about that. I want no part in your shenanigans," I said. I had enough going on with the fund raising, dance class, the newspaper, and managing my social life. I didn't need anything else on my plate.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Perfect Situation - Weezer_

I took a sip of white peach oolong tea as I signed on to Facebook. Most people thought of Wednesday as hump day. The lovely day in the middle of the week that separated us from the joys and freedom of the weekend. But Thursday was my jump off. It was a prelude of good things to come. Or my release from the penitentiary I called high school.

_**Email or phone : nodayaka **_

_**Password : *********_

_**Namine Odayaka**_

_**Status:**_

I usually posted an inspiring quote or something. _Hmmm…..how about this._

_**Faith is the expectation of the things not seen **_I typed into the status box and hit enter.

_**News Feed**_

_**Selphie Telesco posted 20 new pictures one hour ago. **_

_These must be from the practice yesterday._

The caption under the post read: _**This is a bit late, but here's how I spent my weekend.**_

_Well I guess not…_

There was a bunch of pictures from the club we went to last week. One of me and Selphie making a silly face. Selphie and Kairi making duck faces. Riku and Rinoa dancing together. Me devouring my dog from Gray's Papayas. Axel carrying me on his back to the train station.

I didn't usually check Facebook on my computer, only to post a new profile picture. But it seemed like I was missing a lot otherwise.

Someone had already commented on a picture of Roxas, Sora, and I dancing.

_**Quistis Trepe: Selphie stop wasting time with this and send me that article!**_

_Ok, not what I was expecting._

_**Selphie Telesco: Keep your shirt on Q. I'll get to it.**_

I shook my head as I took another sip of tea. The paper was supposed to go into print this afternoon. Selphie was playing with fire by messing with Quistis' paper.

Quistis had posted some things as well.

_**Quistis Trepe added 30 new pictures to the album Save the Arts!**_

The caption underneath read: _Our beloved Yonkers High needs help keeping these classes alive._

There was an array of pictures from Sebastian's music class, Mr. Skellington sewing a pattern, Master Eraqus' instructing his martial arts class and other classes 'in danger' of being shut down.

Trust Quistis to turn up the drama when it involved something she was enthusiastic about.

I heard my phone whistle and turned my attention to it.

_New Messages_

I tapped the touch screen and checked my messages. It was from Riku.

**Riku: I'm going to be a little late.**

I responded back.

**Me: Ok I'll be patiently waiting, milord.**

"Hey I can I bum a ride?" Yuffie came running up to me. Yuffie and Kairi usually took the bus in the morning. Riku and I made it to school much too early for their liking. I held up a finger and texted Riku again.

**Me: but because you choose to be late on this occasion my sisters shall accompany us as well.**

"Done," I said and returned to scrolling through my feed.

"Kay thanks."

I continued to look around Facebook. The pictures Selphie tagged me in were the only notifications I received. Then I saw another notification. _Oh what's this?_ It was a friend request.

_**Cloud Mako has sent you a friend request.**_

_**Accept Not now**_

And with one click I set my plan into motion. I finished off my tea as I waited for Riku. It was time to brush up on my French.

0.0

"Any particular reason you were late?" I asked Riku in homeroom. I propped my head on my right hand and looked at him.

"Just a late start today," was his reply.

I hummed. "You know I've wondered this for a while. You're always driving around me and my sisters. Do you make Isa walk to school?"

He shrugged. "He says that I embarrass him and that he'd rather hitchhike his way than drive with me."

I laughed. "It's your hair isn't it?" I could see a small tint of red rise in his face. "You do look like you need another haircut." I quickly ran a hand through his hair.

He swatted my hand away and said, "No I don't."

I rolled my eyes. This was a constant topic of argument for us.

I started to open my mouth but Riku cut me off. "And no Namine, I do **not** look like a girl."

"Yeah you do," I said under my breath. "A very masculine but pretty girl."

"And you look like a moose."

"Ah a very pretty moose. Make all the boy moose go wahhh!"

We laughed.

0.0

_BGM: Radioactive – Rita Ora_

Vanitas met me at my locker after Mr. Acosta's class let out. I was pulling my bag with my dance clothes out of the locker.

"Good, you're here." I closed the locker door.

"That depends on what you want." Ah he knew me so well.

"I need to ask you something." We started walking towards the front doors of the school.

"Yeah?"

"How do you feel about being my partner?"

"In what, dance?"

"Yeah. It dawned on me that it _might _be nice to have someone to tell me where I need improvement, and with my form and all that jazz." I turned to him before we got on the bus.

He shrugged. "Sure."

"And you know how I am. Be brutally honest."

"Don't worry I won't hold back," he replied. One thing I appreciated from Vanitas was his frankness.

I followed him onto the bus. He gave me a strange look as I sat down next to him. "This doesn't mean that your interaction is welcome." He pointed between me and him.

"I know. I don't really care though," I patted his shoulder. Vanitas was never one for many dealings with others. And it was the same when it came to unnecessary physical contact. I don't think I've ever seen him hug anyone besides Aerith. He was like the complete opposite of his fraternal twin. Sora was sweet, funny, and like a ray of sunshine that dropped from the heavens and had materialized as a human. He just had this glow and playful air about him. On the other hand Vanitas was introverted (like I could sometimes be), had a dark sense of humor, and an air of mystery. This could be part of the reason girls thought he was hot stuff, branding him with the bad boy image because of his interactions, or lack thereof. His personality could have its drawbacks, which is part of the reason why I freaked when he came over to dance with me. It surprised me even more that he agreed to be my dance partner.

This would be an interesting semester.

Class went as per usual without surprises. Ms. Fa approached us when we got off the bus at school. "Hey Vanitas, Namine. I have something to ask you."

"Yes?"

"Since you asked me to help with the fund raising I went ahead and got the ball rolling with Rinoa. But in exchange I want to try something with the two of you. I see that there's chemistry. Oh no not like that," she said once we shook our heads and looked at each other with scowls.

"I mean when you dance. You two work very good together. There's a type of dancing that uses acrobatic influence. I think it would be perfect for you," she started. "It will call for a lot of trust on your partner."

"I don't know," I started to say.

"Well why don't you two think about it and get back to me," she said with a smile. She just had a calm way talking to people.

When we walked into the school and I started for Master Eraqus' class, Vanitas followed me closely.

"What?" I asked.

"We should consider her offer."

"Mmm why?" I know I just asked Van to be my partner and help me out. But I meant on very rare occasions. I didn't expect him to want to spend any more time with me than necessary.

"You said that you wanted to 'expand' your learning in dance. This is your perfect chance."

"Well…"

"Mulan said herself that we work great together." I stopped walking to look at him. "It's your call though. See ya." And with that he left me to mull over the proposition.

0.0

**Me: are we still meeting up?**

**Cloud: yeah at 4:30 right?**

**Me: yup**

**Cloud: see you there**

I sighed. I had left the lunchroom earlier than normal. I was in statistics waiting for Riku to arrive. He sat with Isa despite his younger brother's protests. I laughed to myself. I wondered what Kairi was doing.

**Me: hey love. whatsup?**

**Kairi: are you trying to get me killed?**

I thought for a second. Oh that's right.

**Me: lol sorry. Forgot you were with The Master.**

Master Eraqus was calm and gun but he stuck to the rules like seaweed on a sashimi roll. He was strict about the cell phone policy.

**Kairi: I'm glad I'm still in the locker rooms.**

**Me: aww but I wanted to chat with you :(**

**Kairi: you can do that after class**

**Me: can't. I'm working on something for the paper. Sorry sis.**

**Kairi: well I have practice with the swim team**

**Me: oh…well then.**

**Kairi: I'll just be making it home all by my lonesome **

Oh please.

**Me: yes. you're old enough to travel on the bus by yourself.**

**Kairi: D:**

**ME: you just want to use my bus pass**

**Kairi: …well you got me there lol.**

**Me: see you at home, Nugget.**

0.0

_BGM: Pumpin' Blood (Franne Edit) - NoNoNo_

In statistics we learned how to take samples from populations of data and the cycle it created. Variables, limits, scales. My brain was mush by the time 2:55 rolled around. After I left the room, I stood outside Mr. Lavindra's class to text Cloud. I didn't have volleyball practice or a meeting for the newspaper. There was a lot of time between now and 4:30.

**Me: Hey you wanna meet up earlier? **I waited about five minutes before making my way to my locker. After taking out my books and bags I felt my phone vibrate.

**Cloud: yeah, how about 3:30?**

Strolling from my locker to the front of the school, I saw a few students lingering in the hallways. As I made it to the front doors I started to reply back but saw a familiar blonde outside the doors.

"Why don't we just walk together?" I suggested when he was within earshot. He turned around to the sound of my voice.

"That'll make things easier," he said. We recounted the past two weeks of school on our way to the bus stop. This was always a safe topic though it was boring and very surface.

"I don't really care for math too much."

"Who do you have?" I asked.

"Ms. Ducas."

"She's Greek right?"

"Yes."

"Maybe we can get her to help make some pastries for the bake sales." I always loved trying new foods. And baklava had enough sugar to keep me up for days.

"Or help with plays. She majored in theater," Cloud said.

"So why is she teaching math?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea. She does assist with the drama club though."

"Ok, that might actually work." _To my benefit._ Sebastian was a sucker for pretty faces. If Ms. Ducas was helping that would soften the blow of finding out that Reno would also be involved.

0.0

I'm not sure why we went to the library other than to kill time. We both had internet at home. Google was at the disposal of any student nowadays. We did end up using the computer lab to research some great fund raising ideas. They seemed to fit perfectly with our area.

And on our way out we spotted some interesting flyers on the bulletin boards. Posting things about the fund raiser was actually a good way to get our cause out there.

I was genuinely delighted to spent time with Cloud. It gave me a better read on his person. Something about interacting with people outside of school brought out their true character. And there's something special about enticing an irate reaction of a librarian. I don't think we're too welcome on that floor anymore.

"I would drop you home but my car is in the shop," Cloud said. We were exiting Riverside Library. I pouted on the inside. I believe Cloud drove a sports car.

"It's fine, I take the bus all the time," I waved it off.

We both got on the 5:15 bus around the corner. "After you," Cloud gestured to the stairs of the bus. We chose a seat close to the front.

"So I can talk to Sebastian no problem," I said.

"I think it'll be easy to get Ms. Ducas to participate."

We continued our discussion on who would be in charge of what, which soon turned into food and then playful banter. I played my part by laughing at his jokes and batting my eyelashes.

"So you excited for your first game?" I asked. Cloud was the main forward for our soccer team.

"Definitely. Practice has actually been fun and I can't wait to finally play against another team." He relaxed in his seat. "We have a scrimmage coming up soon."

I had caught a few of the soccer team's games in the past years. They were pretty good. I spent most of the sports festivities taking pictures behind the scenes or baked as a cake. Sometimes both.

"Your team is pretty awesome. I'd love to see a game or two."

"Yeah I've noticed you at some of the games." Hmm so was he checking me out?

"What can I say, I'm an avid sports fan," I winked. More fascination in the players than the actual game, but I'd never verbalize that.

We made plans to reconvene at another time.

When the bus got close to my street, I said goodbye to Cloud and made my way up the steep hill.

* * *

**There was a **_**little**_** bit of development between Namine and Cloud. Do you think I'm moving too slow with the plot and the interactions? I'm trying to slowly weave things together without confusing you. But I still wanted to give you a little something with this pair. And I've never shipped Namine and Cloud before. I've seen it done once before and it was beautifully executed. I hope I can imitate their literary genius. Please enlighten me with your feedback.**

**As always, I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. **

**Until next time**

_Sook_


	10. Am I Crazy?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline.**

* * *

I hope you all are doing well. Get ready for chapter nine! But before that let's have a little recap.

_**Riku seems to be taking my advice on Rinoa**_

"_Promise that you'll name your first kid after me," I say._

"_Your first or middle name?"_

"_I'll get back to you on that."_

_**Cloud got my number from a bumbling idiot, but it worked itself out**_

_Can we meet up to talk about that?_

_Name a place_

_**Vanitas gets a little bold**_

_Vanitas drags me to the middle of the dance floor and walks over to our teacher. The song we rehearsed yesterday starts to play._

"_I am going to kill you Van," I annunciate with a straight face._

"_Shut up and dance."_

"_How do you feel about being my partner in dance?"_

_**I've been seeing Cloud a bit more often**_

"_Yeah I've noticed you at some of the games."_

"_What can I say I'm an avid sports fan."_

**Chapter 9: Am I Crazy?**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Fast life (Matt DiMona Remix) – Asher Roth_

"So what do you think?" Quistis approached Riku and I as soon as we walked through the school doors.

We took the tablet from her hands and I began swiping across the screen.

"Hold on Namine. I can't see with you moving through the pages so quick," Riku said.

"I like it," I said as I handed the tablet to Riku. "Is there a hard copy?" Quistis proudly handed me the new newspaper. Just like Selphie promised, it had a lovely polished look and glossy pages that brought out vivid colors. Unlike the old newspaper, it had a few unnoticeable staples holding the bind together.

Each classroom would have a small rack holding the newspapers. The teachers were in charge of collecting the money in exchange for the small booklet. I slowly leafed through the newsletter, admiring the glossed images.

"I'm so proud of this. I can't wait to get started on the next issue," Quistis said with a beaming smile before taking her leave.

"Quistis, always thinking ahead."

"Which probably means she's going to call an 'emergency' newspaper meeting," I said making air quotes for emergency.

"I'm so glad I never joined," Riku said.

"It's never too late to share in my pain." I waggled my eyebrows.

"No thanks."

0.0

Before I could step foot into yoga class, an office aid blocked my route and handed me a slip of paper. "Here ya go," she chirped and walked off.

"Oh, are you in trouble again?" Selphie asked from behind me.

"I hope not." I scanned the piece of paper. "Aunt Tifa is calling an emergency practice."

"Oh! You're so lucky," she pouted.

Tifa was not one to mess around. She valued education very highly and never put the volleyball team before our classes. If she was calling a practice during the school day, then something was off.

Luckily I had my change of practice clothes in my bag. I started to make my way to the gym and I saw Yuffie on the elevator.

"She must be stressed," my sister commented.

"For her to call a practice now, yes. But I sort of expected this."

"Really?"

"Our game was off." We had a short scrimmage against Lincoln High School earlier this week.

"Hmm." Yuffie thought for a moment. "We did win the game."

"But our plays were very sloppy." I had a strong feeling this was the reason Tifa was calling practice.

When we made it to the gym the entire JV and Varsity teams were there. The net was set up in the middle of the court. Tifa was wearing a plain white t shirt and khaki shorts. She had her hands on her hips as she waited for the rest of the team to arrive.

"Alright ladies," she addressed us with a smile. "It was brought to my attention that this team might need to bond more. I noticed that you're not really working together. Individually you're great. But when you play in groups it gets very sloppy and unorganized. I mean its one thing to win trophies and medals, but how can you even play the game if there's no connection besides hitting a ball around." She paced the floor. "Tomorrow is Saturday and as much as I know you will be dreading it, I'm calling a practice for then too." At this a majority of the girls groaned in protest. "But I won't be there." This raised questions for me. If the coach wasn't going to be there then who would be there to lead us?

She turned in my direction and looked at me. _Oh no you don't. _"And I know you will be a very good leader for them, Namine." _Well shit._

I sighed. I hated when Aunt Tifa roped me in like this. "Yeah I guess I can do that," I said grudgingly. I was the team captain after all.

Jasmine had a hand on her hips. She looked over to me and said, "I told you it would be a good idea."

"Oh shut up."

We ran drills for the rest of the period.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Feel So Good – IU_

I was sore but awake after the emergency session Aunt Tifa called. After grabbing my lunch from my locker, I began to make my way towards the elevators. I caught sight of a dark red shirt in my peripheral.

"Hey Ms. Fa," I greeted her.

"Namine. Just the person I was looking for." I hope I wasn't in trouble. "Are you doing anything right now?" She was holding some folders in her arm.

I shook my head. "I just have lunch," I lifted up my lunch box.

"Well good. Maybe you'd like to join me so we can fine tune this project of ours."

Once we reached her office I asked, "So what exactly do you need from me?"

The decent sized space was plush and reminded me of the orient. I sat down on a dark red and gold cushioned chair.

"Well technically it's Rinoa who needs you." She poured herself a cup of tea and offered me some. It was a beautiful China set; black with red accents. "We need discuss some things about the cheer team. I was actually at a loss for what my role would play."

"Oh what kind is it?" I pointed to the china cup.

"Spearmint and cardamom."

I graciously took the cup and held it to my face. I could feel steam emitting from the china. _How was it still hot?_

"So as far as I know it would be helping with the choreography for some, well all the dances. Ok so the whole idea is to raise money for the arts program. Originally it was supposed to be just for the cheer team but Rinoa has included us and our plight."

Mulan nodded. "Go on."

"She suggested that we could put on short skits or plays, then charge for the tickets in order to gain funds for the programs. Rinoa wanted your help specifically with the parts the cheer team would be doing. There will be other acts from the drama club too. We thought it would be a good idea to get as many teachers as possible to help with this."

"Sounds like a great idea. Have you spoken to Ansem yet?" she asked.

"Uh, not quite." It seems like I had left out a huge part of this. Without the principal's okay then this whole operation was a bust.

"Why don't we reconvene at my house this weekend?"

"Yeah that sounds great. I'm working on Sunday though," I said.

"Saturday I'm busy but Sunday I'm free. How about in the afternoon then?"

"I could come by after work," I suggested.

"Good."

0.0

I finished Statistics with no hitch. Since class let out early for me, I decided to pay Master Eraqus a visit. I could use his help.

"Master E, are things going ok?"

"Yes," he responded. There weren't many students in the gym. He had given his P.E. class a break and released them early. "Your sisters are both doing well in their extra curricular pursuits."

"I know. Although I never expected Kairi of all people to be interested in something so…disciplined. She's more of a free spirit."

"The people we hold closest to us, are the ones that surprise us the most." I usually hated when he spoke in riddles, but I welcomed this one.

"I guess so. I did have a question to ask you."

"I was waiting for this." Wait what. How did he know?

"About helping-"

"For the fund raising for the arts. Yes. I would be glad to help in any way I can."

"How did-"

"Mulan may have told me about it."

"Oh, well I'll be sure to keep you posted."

"I do advise you to speak with Principal Ansem before you proceed with anything else." Yes that would definitely be a good idea.

"I was actually wondering if you could help me with that." Master Eraqus gave me a questioning look. "You seem to be in his good graces."

"Really now?"

"And I'm not exactly comfortable going to the principal's office." The last time I was in there I was nearly suspended. I may have taken part in a shenanigan that damaged some school property. In my defense I was just there to take pictures of the creative graffiti on the brick walls. And I may have tagged my initials somewhere in that chaos.

He chuckled. "Alright."

Kairi walked up to us with her bags in hand. "Wanna come with us? We're just stopping by the principal's office."

Kairi adamantly shook her head. I sent a text to Yuffie letting her know where we would be. To which I got quick response. **Yeah good luck with that.**

"I'll just wait for Yuffie," Kairi said. Those chickens.

As Master Eraqus and I made our way to Principal Ansem's office I chatted him up. It was very rare when he spoke freely so this was a treat. He was telling me why he decided to pursue this current career path.

"I studied in Spain for a little time. Right after earning a black belt in judo while I was in Japan."

"Spain? What took you that far?" I questioned.

"Some friends took up this type of martial arts dancing, Capoeira." My eyes lit up at this confession. "I figured this would be a good route to pursue since the heart of this form was in Spain. My friends and I had a lot of training from the dojo master there. I also learned Tae Kwon Do and Jujutsu while I was there."

"Did you go running with the bulls?"

He chuckled. "No, but one of my friends did. He nearly got run over. The rest of my companions sat on the sidelines to record it."

"It sounds like you had a great time."

"Yes. The food, culture, the tight knit community, the women." He mumbled the last part.

I would remember to bring that up to him at another time. We were nearing Principal Ansem's door.

Here goes nothing.

~0~0~

_BGM: Fools – The Temper Trap_

"It couldn't have been as bad as you anticipated."

I turned to give Kairi a look. "Easy for you to say. You were never in that hot seat before. I was practically sweating bullets." The meeting with the principal went over well. Although I was still feeling some anxiety hours later. Something about going into the disciplinarian's office made me nervous and sick to my stomach.

"And thank you guys for waiting for me. You're just the best," I said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," Yuffie said not missing a beat.

"Did you tell Jasmine what time we were meeting at the beach?" I asked.

"Ten thirty, right? I'll just send a mass text."

I made my way into the living room and started on some homework. At the end of our impromptu practice, we had, as a group, decided that Saturday's practice would happen at the beach. I mentally prepared myself to get sand everywhere. I was still tired from the practice and thought on other matters I needed to straighten out.

_Now what was the probability of getting sand in my bag?_ I scrawled on my paper.

"Depends on the angle of your foot shifting the sand," I heard a deep voice and jumped slightly.

"You're going to give me a heart attack one day, Vanitas."

"You close to being finished?"

"Not quite." At this he sighed.

"I wanted to practice some." He draped himself across the other couch. "But I see you're preoccupied."

"Well if you want, you can help me."

So Vanitas proceeded to help me with my homework.

"So the probability has a chance of being accurate, and then you can test that accuracy," he explained. "The accuracy is just how correct the calculation was. This is the formula."

After finishing my Statistics homework I obliged to dance with him.

"Don't kill me." I picked one of the songs Rinoa asked me for help with and placed my iPod in the dock.

"You're just picking a song. I'm sure it's-"

_Four little words just to get me along_

_It's a difficulty and I'm biting on my tongue and I_

_I keep stalling, keeping me together_

"Okay?"

I started the choreo that Rinoa had shown me. It was tailored more for cheering and so I looked a little stiff.

"You look like you need to loosen up."

After I ran through the dance about halfway, Vanitas stopped me.

"Namine, what is this?"

"Ehe…"

He scratched his head. "I don't know if I can catch the beat to dance to this."

"Oh this is one of the songs Rinoa chose." Yuffie chose then to walk into the living room.

Vanitas looked over to me. "Cheerleading, Namine?"

"You know you're good," I said with a megawatt smile.

"I am _not_ doing choreo for a bunch of cheerleaders."

"Oh come _on_. It'll be fun I promise."

"That is where I draw the line Odayaka," he said with finality.

"Aww fine," I pouted.

"You can pick another song-" I smiled big "but it needs to be a hip hop based song."

Eh. I thought I could get one over on him. Someone finally to tell me no. I scowled.

After we finished the routine, to which Vanitas chose the song, we walked into the kitchen for a drink.

"So I never got a chance to say this, but why the hell did you make us dance in front of the entire class?" I asked Vanitas.

"Oh," he rubbed the back of his head. "I thought that the dance was really good. I figured we could share our skills with the class. I'm not sure what got into me."

I pursed my lips and gave him a look. "I wanted feedback from Mulan," he continued.

"Next time, warn me. Or just ask Mulan for like a private session."

"What, you were embarrassed?" he asked me.

"Yes," I said quietly. "There's a reason I don't advertise that I can dance." I had a great deal of self awareness and self confidence of my body. There was absolutely no shame in it. I just didn't feel too comfortable showing certain parts of myself to others. But it seemed like the wall I had built around myself was starting to break, brick by boring brick.

Hoping to change the subject I asked, "So about Mulan's extra dance classes. What do you think?"

Vanitas just shrugged. "Why not?"

"It could be fun…I guess." A moment of silence passed before I spoke again. "You have any plans tomorrow?" I asked.

"To catch up on Doctor Who."

"As great as that actually sounds wanna go to the beach instead? You could definitely work on your tan."

He chuckled. "Why the spur of the moment trip?"

"It's suppose to be a bonding experience for the volleyball team."

"I suppose," he shrugged.

"Kay. We need to leave here by eight."

"In the morning?"

"Yeah. Is there a problem?"

"That's really early you know."

"You have to get up early for school."

"That's different."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early."

~0~0~

_BGM: Underwear - KaraMel_

"Up an' atta 'em!"

"No," Yuffie protested from her bed.

"I told you to get a good night's rest."

She groaned. "I had everything planned out." She turned to lie on her back and put a pillow over her face. "I was supposed to do my homework, stay up late watching shows, and then spend today sleeping in very very late. Then wake up at four and get myself ready for Brandy's party."

"Well you tell that to Aunt Tifa." I gathered my swim suit and made my way into the bathroom. When I walked back into my room Yuffie was nowhere to be seen.

I adjusted the halter strap on my purple one piece. I threw on a light sundress and packed a small bag with a change of clothes. After filling a large cooler with drinks and snacks, Kairi and Mom made their way into the living room. She was still in her pjs and was holding a cup of coffee.

"Ok now, be sure you're safe when you drive. Make sure you have the SunPass, too. I remember that ticket that Yuffie got a couple of months ago." She made a displeased face. "And please don't come home too late. It's not safe out there after a certain time."

I heard the doorbell. "That's probably Riku."

"Is it just the team that's going?" Yuffie walked out of our closet.

"I invited Rinoa and Selphie. So I assume some of the cheer team will be there."

I opened the door and Riku stood there in surf shorts and a white t.

"Thanks for the ride," I greeted him.

"Morning Riku. Be safe driving," Mom said from behind me. "And have fun!"

"I love my mother but she can be incessantly annoying sometimes," I said lowly.

"I heard that!" said mother called from the top of the stairs.

Riku laughed.

"I hate waking up this early." I dragged a hand across my face. We walked into the living room where I dropped onto the couch.

"Well you know what they say," he started. "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

"You know what another wise person once said?" I asked.

"What would that be, Golden Child?"

"Early to rise and early to bed, makes a man healthy but socially dead." Riku chuckled at this.

"You sound like Iroh. Lay off the cartoons."

"It's not a cartoon," I argued. "It's a well structured manga-drama with long-term life learning lessons."

"Whatever you say," he replied.

The ride to the beach was a pleasant two hour drive. Sort of. Isa decided to come as well and was stuck between Yuffie and Kairi in the back seat. I almost felt sorry for him; my sisters were pestering him to death. He was screaming for release once we reached the beach.

At 10:19 we pulled into a parking spot at the Orchard and Promenade beach. And to my surprise we weren't the only ones there.

"Wild child!" Axel ran across the sand and picked me up. I saw some of his band members as well.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. His pecks were squishing my cheeks as he hugged me.

"I heard about the party and couldn't pass up the chance to see the cheerleaders in their skivvies."

He put me down. "You mean their bikinis and this isn't a party."

He waved his hand. "Same thing. Any who Yuffie said-"

"Weren't you the one asking who would be here?" I directed to Yuffie. I turned back to Axel. "We're here to train, not party Axel."

"So then why are Ventus and Vanitas here?" he questioned. He clapped a hand on Roxas' back. "Hey buddy you didn't tell me either. Wanted them all to yourself didn't you? I don't blame you."

Roxas pushed Axel. "No you idiot," he said exasperated.

I had nothing to say to that. I **did** invite Vanitas. And was expecting his brothers to tag along.

"Come on!" exclaimed Axel, before he picked Roxas up onto his back and ran towards the ocean.

"Help!" Roxas yelled but it fell on deaf ears.

Riku and Yuffie helped me to spread the beach blanket out and put up the umbrella we brought with us. By the time we finished setting up a few more cars joined us. I waved at who I presumed was Rinoa, and her car group walked over to us.

There was a net already set up not too far from where we were. After my team settled in the sand we made our way over there to run practice.

All twenty of us spent the next four hours running drills. I blew my whistle to stop for a moment. I found it the day before buried in the recess of my closet. It was dusted it off and worked as well as the day Aunt Tifa gave it to me.

"That's looking better Janice. Watch your reaction time. Cindy, you need to put more power behind your hits. And Sarah _please_ stop staring at the clouds."

It was a bit exasperating working with them.

"Can we please take a break?" one of the girls interrupted.

"Yeah look at the guys. They're having fun."

"I'm going to die Namine," Yuffie said.

"Even Pence is having fun," Sarah said.

"I wanna hang out with the cute drummer."

I rolled my eyes and looked over to the shoreline. Rinoa and Riku were splashing each other. Rikku, Kairi, and Tidus were racing in the water. Pence had traded his camera for a football that he was throwing to Demyx.

I sighed. I guess we could take a break. I was starting to feel my body lag in energy and I hated hearing people complain.

"Oh why not? I think you all did pretty good," I addressed the group. "You are now released for the rest of the afternoon."

As they all cheered and made a run for the water, I walked over to my blanket and grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler. The shade underneath the umbrella did feel good.

I picked up Pence's camera to peruse the pictures. There were some great shots of the practice; diving for the ball, doing some trust exercises, Sarah and Yuffie high fiving each other, Jasmine smiling before she served. There was a picture of me spiking the ball.

I felt something wet drip onto my outstretched toes.

"What are you doing?" I looked up to see Axel.

"Nothing," I replied and stood. I had long ago shed my sundress. "Just looking at some pictures that Pence took." We started walking towards the water.

"I mean you're off by yourself and everyone else is having fun." With that Axel picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

I chuckled. "Yeah well what about Jill?"

"She needs to cool off. Care for a swim?"

"Don't you dare." We were in the water and Axel was waist deep.

"You can get me back later, Princess."

The water felt cold and refreshing compared to the warm sensation that the sun brought to my skin. All I could hear was the silence of the ocean. I watched as bubbles made their way from my nose and rose up. As I pushed myself to the surface the air felt cool on my face. I took a deep breath.

"'Bout time you joined us," I heard Sora say. I smiled at that.

My hair was sticking to my neck and back. "Axel get back here," I yelled after him before chasing him through the water.

~0~0~

_BGM: Summer Nights – Cassie Steele_

"We're not gonna start singing kumbaya, are we?" Isa asked slightly miffed. I think Isa was still a bit irritated because of Axel and his shenanigans. Axel and Riku tossed him in the ocean earlier, after he dried off. Then they kept stealing food straight from his hands.

Currently our unruly group was sitting on blankets and talking. It was about four in the afternoon. I wasn't really keeping track of the time. Axel, Rikku, and I were preoccupied with eating.

Selphie was always party ready and had set up her stereo. Who knew that a modern girl like her would own a boombox? Soft music was playing in the background.

_It just takes some time alone_

_Hey hey girl_

_We're the wild type but we've been around the block one too many times tonight_

"Last Twinkie," Demyx called out. He had been rummaging through everyone's cooler in because of his munchies.

_He was just a summer fling right after Seifer dumped me. That was a fun summer: teaching me how to play his sitar, hanging out like a groupie at his band's shows, going to carnivals, house parties, and vintage stores._

_He was very lax, and let me bum a hit or two (or three) from him. I don't remember too much of that time with him. It was a blissful haze. Don't mind the pun._

"Mine," I said and he tossed it my way. A smile lit up my face. I lay on my stomach and pulled out my phone. I wondered if I missed anything.

_**New Messages**_

**Cloud: Hey**

**Cloud: Whatsup?**

He sent them about fifteen minutes ago.

_Bread and butter_

_Cryin' on the subway_

_Waitin' on a cold day_

_Don't react, here he comes_

I bit into the yellow treat as I typed a response.** training at the beach**

I received a text a minute later. **Doesn't sound like much practice would be going on there**

**Lol you'd be surprised. Although we did stop for a break…that may have lasted an hour or three. I'm not really keeping track.**

"Who are you texting, Cloud?" Selphie asked.

I put the phone down. "What makes you think that?"

"You're smiling bigger than the Cheshire cat."

I laughed and shook my head. Turning over on my side I saw Rinoa and Riku flirting. Rinoa was trying to throw grapes into his mouth. I smiled to myself and lay on my back, trying to catch some of the sun's last rays. I closed my eyes to listen to the chatter of my friends and the song playing.

_We're the wild type_

_I've been around the block once too many times tonight_

When I woke up I felt a strap against my chest. Opening my eyes I saw a road ahead of me. They must've put me in the car when I fell asleep. Stretching in my seat I turned my head to see our younger siblings sleeping in the back seat.

"Have a nice rest Sleeping Beauty?" Riku asked from the driver's seat.

"Mmm hmm." I turned my body to face him. "Have fun with Rinoa?"

I could see a half smile work its way onto his face.

Before I drifted back to sleep I thought about the conversation I had with Cloud.

_It took him a while but he responded to me. __**Sounds like you're having a blast. That makes me think of hanging with my friends. They throw some pretty crazy parties.**_

_**Really now. You think it's my scene?**_

_**Yeah. Actually I'm hanging out with some of them next weekend. **_

_I started to write a reply when another text came. __**Wanna come with?**_

_I thought for a moment. Dare I ask? Worst thing he can say is no._

_**As a friend? **__I asked._

_**I was thinking more along the lines of a date**_

_My face lit up. __**Sure : )**_

* * *

**Songs used: That's Not My Name – The Ting Tings**

**Hey Hey Girl – The Virgins**

**Hope you liked it. I did. Not just because I'm the author. I actually feel proud of what I just produced.**

**I hope you all were safe if you decided to participate in this year's Black Friday festivities. The mall I work at rightfully named it Madness lol. Anyways, review, like, and all that jazz.**

**Until next time**

_Sook_


	11. The Show Must Go On

This chapter is so late. I'm honestly sorry about that. And this might just be a filler. What? Something boring needs to happen in between all the fun things.

* * *

Here's a recap of what happened last.

_**The school's paper comes out. Quistis would be off my back for a little while.**_

_**Tifa calls an emergency practice**_

"_I noticed that you're not really working together. I'm calling a Saturday practice. And as team coach Namine will help you to bond more."_

_**I finally include some important people in the inner workings of the fundraiser**_

"_Have you spoken to the principal about the fundraiser?"_

_**Vanitas was kind enough to help me with homework**_

"_The probability has a chance of being accurate."_

_**I ran my team like a slave driver.**_

"_Stop staring at the clouds!"_

_**Clouds texts lit up my weekend.**_

_Sounds like you're having a blast_

_I'm hanging out with some friends next weekend._

_Wanna come with?_

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Show Must Go On. No Seriously, It Needs to Happen Like Yesterday**

~0~0~0~0~

_BGM: Just One Yesterday – Fall Out Boy_

With Ansem's stamp of approval the festivities could finally begin. The cheer team and drama club were already putting together their skit or whatever they had going. My job consisted mostly of buttering up our teachers. Quistis, and surprisingly Rinoa, thought that I had amazing skills in that department. Why, I've not any clue. So off I went in my venture. And what better time to pester the teachers but on Monday morning. I had Riku pick me up extra early this morning. I somehow regret that decision.

Reviewing who we already had helping, I recalled that Rinoa already got a hold of Reno. Something about needing flamenco skirts and flashy fans.

My current objective was Mr. Graham. I was hoping that Axel and Rinoa hadn't spilled the beans to Reno. If so, then this would prove to be harder than I expected.

"So let me get dis straight. You want my help in putting on some plays and tings like this?" I nodded my head. "Alright, why not."

I clapped my hands in delight. "Great! You don't know how much this means Mr. Graham."

"What's so great?" I heard deeper octave of Axel's voice enter the room. _Please don't be Reno. Please don't-_

"Nothing at all Reno. What do you want?" I hope they wouldn't start fighting.

"Oh Namine, good to see you here. You wouldn't happen to be recruiting this old man for the fund raiser, would you?"

Damn you Reno.

"What? You're helping too?" Mr. Graham questioned.

I nodded solemnly.

"I don't want to work with this insufferable nincompoop. Keep him as far away from me as possible." I mentally rolled my eyes.

"Oh come on. Don't be such a crab about it. We get along enough in class-"

"And dat is about as much as I can take of you."

Well then. This isn't going the way I expected.

~0~0~0~

Riku and I were coasting on a cloud. The weekend was a nice bliss. Although I had to work on Sunday, and trust it was long and boring, I was still happy. It could have to do with Cloud texting me the entire weekend.

Riku and I were linked arm in arm as we walked to Hook's class.

"I liked this weekend," he said calmly.

"Me too. It was really chill." Even if I pushed the team's practice to another limit. I'm not sure that they'll complain about Tifa's coaching anytime soon though.

"Any luck with The Enigma?" Riku asked. When we went after a conquest, we used code names for each of them. Peach, Royal B, Fuego, Doc, Barbie, Purple Heat.

"We have a date this weekend."

"Plan?"

"Nothing yet. It's a bit early to make an advance to the next checkpoint. I have been surveying the area. There are no land mines." That was code for us. An advance: to make a move on the guy or girl, whether it be to directly flirt your way into their life or indirectly be introduced by a friend of a friend. Survey the area: checking out the person's qualities, slowly acquiring personal information on them. Land mines: these are potential problems. A bad reputation, a pet peeve that couldn't be overlooked, an ex that was borderline psychotic.

"I would advise you to proceed with caution."

"Duly noted, Silver Bullet." Maybe I was watching Kairi play Call of Duty too often.

"There you are. I've been looking all over for you," Quistis walked up to me.

"I already finished that article for volleyball," I responded.

"No no, I'm not here for that." She handed me a blue paper.

_**Redeeming the arts**_

_Same production crew that brought you __An Octave of Sweet Symphony __will be starting a series of shows and plays_

_Wanna be a part of the crew? Speak with Quistis Trepe_

_Help support our cause. Come watch the show_

_The best thing is this is FREE_

_Where: Yonkers High School Auditorium_

_Who: Your very own cheerleaders and drama club_

_When: This Thursday 5_

I sighed with contentment. Nothing could get me off this high. "This looks great." Rinoa told me that the cheer team would be ready to hit the stage. I just didn't think it would be this soon.

"Wait who's gonna be in charge of this?" I looked up at her, already fearing the answer.

Quistis smiled at this.

0.0

"But you're the perfect person!" Rikku exclaimed.

"Eh," I took a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Quistis seems to think this is a great idea," Yuna said.

"If you haven't noticed by now she's a bit off her rocker."

"Even I can see that and I just got here," Shiki provided.

"Thank you," I turned to her. Most of the freshmen I was supposed to be overseeing, left me in favor of different groups. Shiki was an almost constant at my lunch table to which I welcomed.

"You're already so involved. I just thought it made sense for you to be part of this part too." Rinoa was sweet about this but very adamant.

"What do I get in return?" I'd try to get as much as I could out of this.

"Well you'd be there to take pictures for the newspaper," Rinoa tried.

"I would have to do that anyways."

"Come on now. How about tickets to a Paramore or Katy Perry show?" Rikku suggested.

Now that I could work with. I like this girl.

"Or a gift card to your favorite store?"

I don't think they could afford Tiffany's. _I_ couldn't even afford them.

"Well you're going in the right direction. We'll work something out."

"In the meantime you'll be there, right?" Yuna asked.

"Yeah," I sighed with a shrug.

~0~0~

_BGM: Pleased To Meet You – Alexz Johnson_

The next day I had to run through some things for the art part of the fund raiser. Stretching my creative genes would only go so far. I'd need much help in this avenue.

"Do you think I can catch her before she leaves?" I asked. I was currently in the lunchroom finishing off my hamburger.

"Yeah. She should be in the art studio," Rosa said.

Lunch was the only free moment I had during school hours. I could go early in the morning to take care of business, but I really valued my sleep.

After emptying my tray I made my way to the art studio. It was in the same area as the music hall on the third floor of the school. It was one of the few places in the school that I absolutely adored.

I walked into the room and took a moment to view the artwork. As I got closer to the back of the room, I could see more of the native's artwork. Dream catchers, some woven baskets, a few pots, and small model teepees.

My eyes landed on my person of interest. Pocahontas Powhatan was a rare beauty and easily pulled off the casual look; white shorts and a tank top. Her glasses were perched on the edge of her nose as she looked at something on her Mac computer. The advanced technology looked out of place among the cultural artifacts and the incense that stemmed from her desk. The purple wicker chair swiveled in my direction as my footsteps echoed on the floor.

"Namine," she greeted me. "How can I help you?"

"Hey, I'm pretty sure you've heard about the fund raiser by now."

"Yes I have."

"I'm rounding up teachers for this."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked. I told her about selling artwork and crafts. Getting the students involved as well would be great and would help to share the load.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," she said. "I think I have an inkling of some of the arts teachers that would like to be involved as well."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I can speak with some of them if you would like."

"That would be great." This would cut my work at least in half.

I left the room feeling good. The initial engaging of teachers put me on edge. But once we lapsed into a pleasant conversation, I felt comfortable.

There were a few stragglers in the hallways. And there was at least fifteen minutes before the bell for fourth period rang. I decided to make my way to my locker when I spotted the person of my current _affections._

"Hey Cloud," I smiled.

His mouth turned upwards in recognition of a familiar face and my heart warmed a bit at the sight. He said, "Hey Nams."

"Already giving me nicknames?" I teased.

"I guess. So how's your week going?" Cloud asked.

"Oh you know. Quistis on my case about some story or another."

He chuckled. "Well, on a good note the volleyball team did great on the game last week." We continued on the way to my locker. "I was surprised when you caught the ball. It was inches from the floor." _He went to my game? I didn't see him._

"Me too."

"I'm impressed. You have mad skills."

I blushed a little. "Thank you," I said sincerely. "You practically dominated the other team in your scrimmage yesterday."

"Oh are you keeping tabs on me now?" _Maybe. _Cloud leaned against someone's locker.

I laughed as I turned the combination of my own locker. "You wish. Being part of the newspaper requires that we contribute something. I was just there to take pictures." I closed the door after taking out my math books.

"And were you the one to write the article for the soccer team?" he questioned.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I didn't notice how close we were until then. I waited for him to lean in. He would have to put in more effort than this. I smirked.

"So what exactly do you have planned for Saturday?" I asked. My interest was peaked. Cloud invited me to some outing but didn't say where it was or who would be there.

"Are you worried?"

"No, just curious."

His blue eyes were mesmerizing. It was like breaking through a glacier. The feeling was an immediate freeze that you tried to avoid so you could evade the uncontrolled shivers. But he had the opposite effect on me. I was being drawn in like a moth to a flame. His face titled to my right. "Just dress to impress." I felt his words against my lips.

_Mmm minty._

"That I can do."

The bell rang ruining our moment and bringing us back into the real world. I straightened up and pulled some hair behind my ear. "See you later, Cloud." As I turned to walk to Statistics I made sure to keep my stride tall and confident. I didn't bother to see what his reaction was.

0.0

_BGM: Do What You Want – Ok Go_

Like Rinoa promised the choreography was finished and perfected in no time. It was the third week of August and the show was about to go on. I was very glad that I had nothing to do with promoting this. It was a hassle enough just to get the teachers together and on the same page.

Principal Ansem allowed us to use the auditorium. Since we were trying to raise money, it didn't make much sense to rent out a space when there was ample room at the school.

I peeked my head from between the curtains and watched in amazement as the seats filled up. It was definitely going to be a full house.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"I'm so nervous," Rinoa said.

"You're not even in the first act. Rikku is perfectly capable of taking the lead in this." I was trying to give Rinoa a pep talk, but it was half hearted.

The stage was set. I made sure to go over all of the props for the first performance. I had meticulously check listed each dance from costumes and props to dancers.

"Well everything is in order." There were at least two other people taking pictures in the audience. "Everything is set up. On my cue the music will play."

"Thank you Namine."

I smiled. "You're welcome. Now go get ready for the second act."

I could hear the first song start to play. After Snoop introduced the song, the first verse played.

_I know a place where the grass is really greener_

_Warm, wet, and wild_

_There must be something in the water_

I watched as a large amount of the guys cheered. Rinoa definitely knew what she was doing. The girls on stage were dressed in swim suits. Some were in one pieces and others in bikinis. Let's just hope that Ansem doesn't catch wind of this.

It was something special being behind the scenes. I was able to see all of the little things, that wouldn't matter to many people, but made the overall production look fantastic. It took forever for those stupid beach balls to be blown up. Rinoa had to make sure the girl's swim suits didn't come off during their routine. Then there was bribing Sebastian to let us use some of the drama props. Reno and him were arguing for the longest on that. Something about being the Alpha male.

I stood on the side stage to take pictures. When they brought out large beach balls, they were thrown into the audience. That was a great way to involve the crowd.

"There you are." I sighed at the sight of Quistis. She wasn't supposed to be here. She said something about needing to practice for martial arts. It was bad enough that she was high strung and bossy, but then she showed up unexpected. I thought I would have this performance to myself since she practically shoved the task into my hands.

"Can you check their makeup? I can't make heads or tails of the theme. And their perfume is giving me a headache." Ah so now I was reduced to hair and makeup. Such is the life of an assistant. At least I could get away from Quistis.

I left without complaint. As I made my way to the back I snapped some pictures of the passersby. Some of the girls were practicing the next routine. Another was stretching. I let the camera hand around my neck.

I spotted Rinoa at a mirror applying makeup.

"Just make sure it's the kind that doesn't come off with sweat," I advised. She was so pretty, it didn't matter if she wore any makeup.

Rinoa giggled.

She stood there in a beautiful red and black flamenco dress. Rinoa had the type of beauty that required no effort. She could show up in a potato sack and guys would still line up to see her.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Gorgeous."

"Is the first act doing ok? I mean nothing bad happened? No one slipped. How are we supposed to get those beach balls back?"

I held up a hand to stop Rinoa's rambling. She's stalling.

"You don't need to be nervous. You'll do great." I took another breath. "Everything is fine out there. I've got people collecting the props after the dance ends." I thought of my special place that I went to when I danced. "Just imagine yourself dancing in your room. Or better yet, cheering at a game. Remember, you're with your friends and you're just having fun." She smiled at this.

"Thanks again Namine."

"Now get out there. I didn't go through all the trouble of getting those skirts for nothing!" I reminded her with a laugh.

"Right." With that she made her way out on the stage. After cuing the emcee as the curtains pulled back, I turned back to check on the next group of girls.

Making sure that the costume changes corresponded with the correct dance. Giving another that she had the wrong shoes. Telling one girl she had enough makeup for a drag queen. That might not have been a good idea though.

"I don't really look that bad, do I?" she asked her friend.

I quickly walked away.

"Namine," Rikku pounced on me. "Where are the costumes for That's Not My Name? I can't find them. We need to change now!"

I calmly said, "Right over there Rikku." I pointed in the area of the dressing room. There was a rack or two of clothes. "They're all labeled. Just go over there and look for the song title and your name. It will be ok." I'd have to thank Quistis for intervening with the items organized back stage.

Rikku left me in haste and I put a hand to my forehead. What was that? Was this sweat? Someone needed to turn the air up.

All I could think about was when the last song would play.

0.0

"Thank God we're done," I said exasperated. I left Selphie in charge of returning the clothes borrowed. Yuna and Rikku offered to return all of the props.

Quistis was overseeing the after effect of it all. "Well since we're done here we can go ahead and use this in the newspaper."

"But no one was assigned to write anything for this."

"I already have this taken care of. I just need those pictures."

"You want to me upload them to the server?" I asked.

"That would be great."

I nodded in response and made my way off the stage and through the side door. The auditorium was packed with students and I didn't want to fight my way through the massive sea of people.

As I made my way through the halls I waved to some familiar faces.

Cloud was one of them and walked up to me. "Hey that was a great performance."

"I know right? I didn't expect to see you here though."

"Thought I'd check it out. Besides free is always best," he smiled.

"You'll have to pay for the next one," I replied.

"I think it'll be worth it. You did a good job putting this all together."

"And what makes you think that person was me?" I asked.

"Someone had to organize it."

"Well I'll have to take credit where it's due." We laughed. "I have to upload some pictures for the newspaper. Come with me?" I suggested.

We walked to the newspaper/yearbook room and talked about the next show. I wasn't sure what it would entail, but I ended up promising to help with that as well. I strongly believed that I was in this for the long haul whether I wanted to be or not.

I took out my key for the room and opened the door. After I put the pictures on the newspaper server I pulled up a blank template.

"What should I name this page? Dancing with the stars seems too cliché." I started to place some pictures from the performance on the blank page.

A picture of the flamenco dancers went as a panoramic view on the bottom of the page.

"Dancing with class?" Cloud suggested from beside me. He was sitting with his legs on either side of the chair.

"Fun with friends."

"Does it have to be an alliteration?"

"Um, no." I moved a picture of Yuna holding a beach ball to the page.

A whole spread or just one page? Decisions decisions.

"What about this one." Cloud pointed to Rinoa blowing a kiss to the crowd.

"We can make it the center image." I wrote a caption underneath the picture _Blowing the competition away_

It was corny, but it would do for now.

Surprisingly Cloud was helpful with making the spread of the event. The page was about halfway done and that was good enough for me. I began to look through the unusable pictures; we stopped to laugh at a majority of them. And we joked about me being in the performances.

"Yeah if you want no one to ever come back," I said.

"Nah I think you'd do fine."

"I dance fine at parties and in groups. But never on stage."

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

**Songs used: California Gurls – Katy Perry**

**I don't have much to say about this chapter. I wasn't sure how to end it and I'm going to leave it as is. But I hope you liked it.**

_Sook_


	12. Take Me Out

It's been four weeks. Four long weeks I'm sure. But that's what you can expect from me. Inconsistent updates. But you can _always_ count on there **being** an update.

* * *

Here's the recap

_**I land myself another job**_

_The poster for the show is simple and short. But I had one question._

"_Wait who's gonna be in charge of this?"_

"_You're the perfect person for this!"_

_**The show debuts**_

"_You'll do fine. I took care of everything."_

"_Thanks again Namine."_

_**A little one on one time for me and Cloud**_

"_I'm impressed. You have mad skills."_

"_Thanks, you did great in your scrimmage yesterday."_

_His blue eyes were mesmerizing drawing me in like moths to a flame. I couldn't help myself but to get lost in those icy orbs._

"_Dress to impress."_

_We were practically breathing the same air. But I pulled away before he could kiss me._

* * *

**Chapter 11 : Take Me Out**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Very Good - Block B_

It was Friday afternoon and I was pulling out my hair.

"Why can't I find anything to wear?" I asked exasperated.

"Because you're as nervous as a sinner in church."

"Thanks Yuffie." I continued flipping through my clothes. I picked up a blue shirt and put it back. "Why is this so difficult? He just said dress to kill."

"Really now? Sure you're not exaggerating."

"Well he said impress. Kill, impress. It's all relatively the same thing."

"Any clue where he's taking you?" Kairi asked from the floor outside my closet.

"A friend's house. I don't know if it's gonna be a chill hang out with video games and chips or an all out keg party.

"I like these shoes." Kairi held up a pair of black studded vans.

"Ripped jeans?" I held up a pair of light washed jeans.

"Or shorts," she shrugged.

"What about this top." Yuffie had joined us in my plight. She held up a crop top with a tiger on it. I shook my head.

I usually wasn't this stressed out about what I wore. I could throw something together in a second. But this was proving to be challenging.

"Oooh this is cute." Kairi held up a bubblegum pink dress.

"Not my style." I wonder how that even made it into my closet. I picked up an orange sundress. "I just don't like any of these."

"You're hopeless," Yuffie muttered.

Two hours passed, filled with teasing and trying on countless dresses and skirts, and my outfit was finally picked out and put aside by Yuffie.

"That wasn't so hard," she shook her head at my worry.

I thanked her profusely. It was only Friday but I wanted everything to be just right for this date.

After calming down from my freak out I could turn my attention to homework. One thing I absolutely despised was teachers giving us work to fill the weekend with. While it should be a blessed break from the torturous institution, we were just being sent to our havens with a little piece of hell.

Vanitas hadn't said anything about dancing so I pummeled through the work load of functions, numbers, and body parts.

0.0.0

Every so often our father would plan a girl's day with us. It was difficult to plan anything once school started and we hadn't had a chance to hang out since the summer ended. Amid partying and work, my sisters and I spent a majority of our summer at Dad's house. He lived in Manhattan in a lovely condo.

Between school work, after school activities, and our dad's demanding job we somehow made it work.

"Namine, sweetie how are you?"

"Pretty good actually. I learned this old school hip hop move. You might actually know what it is."

My dad and I had a special relationship. Not very similar to those whose parents split and left their children to their own devices. While Yuffie and Kairi clung to Mom, I had an understanding with Dad. I did blame him for the way things worked out with Mom, but I overcame the resentment. We didn't have the greatest relationship ever but it was absolutely better than nothing. And strangely enough, we had more in common than it would seem.

I heard him laugh on the line. "Are you calling me old?"

"Well I'm not saying you're young."

I could practically see the sparkle in his eye and him shaking his head. "Sometimes you sound just like your mother."

It warmed me to hear him talk about Mom in a good light. They were together for the longest, and even through their legal separation they were on good terms. Once things were unquestionably headed for a divorce, tensions were thick and things were awkward for my sisters and me. So to hear my parents act civil towards each other was an amazing feat. They were known for their huge blowouts. It made me see that a divorce was for the best.

"So are you girls spending the weekend with me or-"

Yuffie had snatched the phone out of my hands before I had a chance to respond.

"Well I have plans with Selphie. And Namine has a hot date." She turned to me with a wicked smile. _Dammit_.

At this point she had put the phone on speaker.

"A date? With who. Do I know him? Who are his parents? I don't-"

"Calm down Dad." I held my fist up to Yuffie's face and mouthed 'I will kill you.'

"Just this guy from school. He's fine."

"Oh he's _very_ fine," Yuffie supplied.

"I hope you're not gonna be alone with him," Dad said.

"That is the whole point of a date," Yuffie said with a roll of her eyes.

"No, we're going to a friend's house actually. We're all going to hang out and probably play video games and watch a movie and pig out." I left out the detail that he invited me as his _date_.

"Hmm."

"Mom already knows about it."

"Is that Dad?" Kairi came bounding into my room.

"Yeah-"

"Dad!"

"Hey Princess." Dad was keen on giving us nicknames. I was surprised that he could tell the difference in our voices. Especially when we were all talking at once.

"I was going to have you girls over for the weekend but it seems like your sisters already made plans."

"Forget them. You can just take me shopping in the city. I wanted to go to this store some of the girls at school have been talking about. And then we can go for mani-pedis," she said with excitement.

"My nails _have_ been lacking luster," he responded.

Yuffie protested, "Wait a second."

"No."

"Take us too," we cried.

"I'll be ready in five!" Yuffie raced into our shared closet to change.

Dad laughed on the line. "I'll pick you girls up in an hour."

~0~0~

"Hey I like getting manicures too," Dad said.

"This is usually something just girls do," Yuffie pointed out.

"Well I can get my nails buffed and a clear coat. Guys do this too," he defended.

Out of the three of us, I favored him the most. His golden hair was slightly curly and strangely fit his soft Japanese features. I inherited my golden locks from him. And my knack for languages.

"Comment a été le travail?" I asked him. We were seated with our feet in small tubs.

"Nous travaillons sur un nouveau compte. Le mec est insupportable," he responded.

I laughed. "Il ne peut pas être si mal que ça."

"Oui mon ange. Vous avez aucune idée."

"Vous devriez juste le faire à travers. Alors nous pouvons avoir des journées de divertissement comme ça tout le temps."

"Always thinking on your feet." He smiled at me and then turned his attention to Kairi. "How is karate going? Ready to fend off those sex crazed boys?"

She rolled her eyes but chuckled nervously. Wait why was she nervous? "Hah sure Dad. Anyways, I love our instructor. He says I can probably get my black belt by the end of the school year if I keep up my progress."

"That's great to hear. And you're doing cheerleading too?"

"Yes. You wouldn't believe how much fun it actually is. The girls are so nice and welcoming."

"Actually," Yuffie looked at me, "Namine started this little moneymaker idea for our school."

"Really?" Dad asked.

"Yeah funds are low for extra curricular classes-"

"And to support it Namine came up with this great idea."

"The cheer squad is part of it too and she's been helping it along."

"Namine is in charge of it all." Yuffie and Kairi were dominating the conversation.

"It was her idea to begin with," Kairi says.

"We're just carrying it through."

"Oh and we went to the beach last weekend."

"It was supposed to be for practicing volleyball."

"And the weather was perfect."

"Even though Namine was a drill sergeant."

"Hey," I interjected.

"I'm sure the team will thank her for her persistence," Dad defended me with a smile.

We moved to tables where our fingernails would be done.

"I just want a something plain," Kairi got up from her seat to pick out a color.

Yuffie followed after her calling, "You can't pick the same color as me. You did that the last time!"

"Nams, you want something special done?" Dad asked.

"Uhm I don't know."

"For your date?" he waggled his eyebrows at me and chuckled.

I smiled. "I guess."

"Is your outfit already picked out?"

"And _why_ would I have it match my nails?"

"Oh please. One time your mother and I were an hour late to a show because her shirt didn't match with her shoes. Which some drunk guy ended up puking on at the end of the night." He laughed at the recount. "How about I pick out your nail design?"

"I don't think so."

"Hey I may not be a girl but I run a capable business. I think I can match a simple color scheme."

"Fine." I had taken a picture of my outfit in case I had second thoughts about it. I showed Dad my phone.

"Well….that's interesting to work with. Those shorts look a little too short." He said the last part under his breath.

"I don't necessarily want something solid just so it will match. I want something cool and fun. But not outrageous."

"So, no building cities on your nails?" he asked.

"Not today. Maybe for Comic Con though."

0.0

I had used gel polish so hopefully this coat would last longer during my daily activities.

We spent the rest of the day in and out of the shops in SoHo. We made Dad try boba tea for the first time.

"_What the heck just popped in my mouth?" he asked._

"_It's one of the tapioca jellies," Kairi said. She was working on her second cup. I was starting to think all that caffeine wasn't good for her._

"_It felt like a sardine eye." He grimaced._

And as 'promised' we went shopping around.

_Kairi held up a cute pastel pink body con dress. It would be perfect for clubbing._

"_You should try it on," Yuffie suggested._

_When she came out Dad immediately ushered her back into the dressing room._

"_That's too much skin."_

"_Dad it's cute."_

"_It's short too. And that's exactly what will attract unwanted attention from boys. All the more reason for you to put it back on the hanger."_

Yuffie rode shot gun while Kairi and I sang to the radio from the back seat.

"_The haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate."_

"_And the fakers gonna fake fake fake fake fake."_

"_I'm just gonna shake shake shake shake shake."_

"_Shake it off, shake it off!" we sang together._

_We were driving Yuffie insane with our melody. For some reason she just wasn't on the TSwift wagon._

Dad double parked in the narrow street when we reached our house.

"So clear your schedule girls. I'm going to try and take off a weekend. Not next week but the week after."

"We staying at La Casa Del Padre?" Yuffie asked.

"Yup."

He gave us each a kiss and sent Yuffie and Kairi on their way. As I was exiting the car he stopped me.

"Namine." I internally rolled my eyes. I already knew where this was going.

"Yes?"

"I'll spare you a long discussion of the birds and bees. We've already had the conversation about safe sex and all that jazz."

So where was this going?

"I'm a little worried about you."

I raised an eyebrow at his confession. "Why?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his golden locks.

"I love you and I'm not going to impose on your choices but you need to be safe."

"I am. Took my pill this morning."

What? Dad was the one who got my prescription for birth control. Surprisingly enough Mom would flip if she knew about my sex life. I confided in Dad after Riku popped my cherry. He said that he'd rather have me properly protected then be a grandparent at his age. I couldn't blame him. After he did that to his parents it would be a terrible thing for the cycle to repeat itself.

"I meant about your emotions."

Oh. That.

"It's almost like doing business. I scratched their back and they scratch mine. It's pretty black and white," I said without missing a beat. But did I mean it? I thought on it for a moment.

Yes. I truly meant that.

"I'm honestly great," I told him with no reservations.

He sighed as though he knew he wasn't going to get me to think any of this over. He took my hand in his and looked me in the eye. "I love you Namine. Not just because you're my daughter or you came from your mother. You're a beautiful person inside and out. And you deserve to be treated as such. Don't settle for anything less than the best. Even when you think you've got it, aim higher."

Wow that was deep.

I tried to have meaningful gratitude. I smiled sadly knowing he wouldn't really understand how I felt about love and all that jazz. I pulled my dad in for a hug and held on for a long time. "Thanks Dad. I love you too."

"I don't want to see you get hurt because of a decision you make."

"You also don't want to be a grandpa."

"Not at least for another twenty years."

I laughed.

It wasn't until the car behind us honk and drive by did we finally break apart.

"Ah rude," I said under my breath.

"You already know you can call me if something goes wrong. Don't go anywhere by yourselves. If you feel uncomfortable or he acts like a dick, just call and I'll be there in a heartbeat. And in case of emergency kick 'em where the sun don't shine."

"Yeah Dad."

"I love you kiddo."

"Love you too." I left his car with my bag in hand.

"What took you so long?" my sisters asked once I made it into the house.

"We thought Dad was having a heart attack."

I scoffed. "He was just giving me a pep talk for my date."

"At least he doesn't live with us. You would never be able to leave the house. He'd interrogate the poor guy to death."

I thought about my dad's words for the rest of the evening. And as I lay in bed anticipating my date, his words played over in my head.

"_Don't settle for anything less than the best."_

~0~0~

_BGM: Crayon – G-Dragon_

Cloud picked me up around eight thirty. Mom was working a late shift so I didn't have to introduce her to Cloud. I made sure that Kairi and Yuffie were preoccupied when he pulled up to the house. I didn't really divulge too much into my dating life. And my family next to never met the guys I was with.

The drive over was comfortable. Cloud's red Camaro was beautiful. The leather interior felt great on my skin. And the inside was just as detailed as the black edging on the outside. Overall the car was sleek, hot, and classy; it fit his personality well.

I played with my ponytail as we talked about random things to pass the time. Cloud worked in a mechanics shop.

"I would have you check out my car but I don't have one."

"The owner of the shop actually has some for sale. You could check them out?"

"Maybe," I shrugged.

"Does this place we're going to have food?" Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. I ate before I left my house but I could hear my stomach protesting later.

He chuckled. "Yeah, the host always keeps the full house stocked."

I smiled in anticipation of a burrito.

"Welcome the Love Castle." A brunette guy about our age answered the door with a smile.

"Miles," Cloud nodded to him.

As we made our way into the dimly lit house, the light smell of sweat and smoke assaulted my nose. This was his scene? I could hang.

_Ajikdo kkulliji anha yes I'm a pretty boy__  
__Nan naradanyeo so fly nallari boy_

Music bounced off the walls at an alarming rate. The sound vibrated in heavy bass and the energy hit each person like a wave. I could feel myself start to move to the beat.

We made our way through a few stragglers by the front doors.

_Get your crayon get your crayon get your cray get your crayon__  
_

"This is the owner of the house." Cloud introduced me to a guy with short, jet black hair. He was wearing a white tee and dark fitting jeans.

"Han, nice to meet you sweet cheeks." It looked like he was mixing a drink. After he strained the drink into a cup he said, "Glad you could make it." He turned his full attention to me. After what seemed like he was taking in my appearance he said, "Nugudo dangsin-i cheonsa ui eolgul-eul gajigo, dangsin eul yaegihagoissda."

I recognized the word cheonsa, for angel.

"Gamsahabnida Han," I thanked him.

He smiled at my Korean. "I think you should hang on to this one. Have fun!" He picked up the full glass of liquor left us to our own devices.

"Wanna dance?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah."

Navigating through the crowd of bodies proved to be a task. Cloud held onto my hand and led me onto the makeshift dance floor. I was slowly working in my minimal hip hops moves. I was glad that I practiced with Vanitas. Cloud seemed like the kind of guy who wasn't surprised easily, or cared for the average girl. If I didn't capture his attention tonight, I think my chances were screwed. I wasn't too shocked when I found that he could keep up with me. Even though there were about forty people in the small space, when we danced like no one else was with us.

Korean music and hard rock played all night. Han was one of my new favorite people.

We were dancing for about six songs before Cloud excused himself to get a drink. I decided to stay and acquaint myself better.

I met a few people- April, Ginger, Greg, Brandon.

They raved about how awesome Han's parties were and I agreed without hesitation.

"Girl I'm surprised your feet aren't killing you by now," April pointed to my black wedges.

I shrugged with a laugh. "I'm used to it I guess." They gave me two inches of height but were secured on my feet by the endless amount of straps.

As I started to say something another song came on. It started with quick violin notes.

_Mayday mayday_

_The ship is slowly sinking_

There was a synth beat with the vocals lying right underneath the music.

Ginger gasps. "This is my favorite song!" She grabs both mine and April's hands and practically drags us to the dance floor. The bass picked up loud followed by a steady and strong drum beat.

_Oh you take all of the pain away away away_

I vaguely recognized the song. Yuffie was blasting it on her laptop the other day.

_Save me if I become my demons_

I joined Ginger's movements and started swaying to the beat. I was really enjoying their company. They didn't really know me but we were having fun like we'd known each other forever.

I excused myself from the dance floor once Cloud came back. We found a seat on the couch and he began talking to some of people that were there. He must be a regular here.

They asked how we knew each other.

"School."

"You look like you're still in high school though," a blonde girl said.

"Yeah we are," I answered.

"Oh I thought you were in the same bio class as Han," she said to Cloud.

"No," April shook her head. "Cloud's his second cousin."

Cloud was three years younger than his cousin. Han was in his second year of college at NYU. The topic changed from school to Cloud being an annoying snot when Han and him were growing up. Apparently April was a close family friend and had no problem divulging this to us. I watched as Cloud's cheeks reddened from an embarrassing story and I laughed along.

Ginger and Greg had joined the group on the couches by then. She started talking about food and how this party was lacking some.

I brought up my latest obsession.

"I just can't find anywhere that sells good kimchi."

"I know this place in Chinatown that makes some boss kimchi," Greg says.

A girl with long brown tresses says, "You could just make it yourself."

"Ack that's too much work." I truly am lazy. I'd rather pull it out of a can than cut and jar my own veggies.

"I could lend you the recipe," she says. "It's really easy."

"Gemma, you're the epitome of hipster. Not everyone makes things from scratch," a guy tells her.

Gemma holds up a finger. "Just because I have a little garden on my patio and I made all my own clothes-"

"That's not even mentioning her collection of Starbucks-"

"They're littering her entire car."

"Which is run by vegetable oil."

"Used vegetable oil," April upturned her nose.

She rolls her eyes. "That was one time. I just wanted to see how it would work."

"My shirt still smells like fries," Ginger says.

I laughed at their antics. Han's pad was chill and so was the company he entertained. Not to mention the drink in my hand; he was also a skilled bartender.

~0~0~

"When I see your face hope it gives you hell. Hope it gives you hell! When you walk my way hope it gives you hell. Hope it gives you hell!" I was singing along to the All-American Rejects song with the large group of people.

"If you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well. Then he's a fool you're just as well, hope it gives you hell!" We continued.

After the song ended I found Cloud sat down next to him.

"This is a pretty boss party." I looked at him. "You were right."

He smiled back at me.

"I'm gonna get another drink. Want one?" I asked.

"Nah, I'm driving later."

"Kay I'll be back."

"Ah cheonsa," Han greeted me once I reached the bar.

I laughed. "I like you."

With a smile he said, "What can I do for you?" I watched as he juggled two bottles and threw one in the air only to catch it right before it hit the counter.

"You look like a class A bartender," I started.

"What would you like?"

"Something sweet but strong."

"One Electric Parrothead."

He made the drink and it went down smooth. The spiced rum was a nice offset to the sweetness of the coconut rum and pineapple juice.

0.0

A slow acoustic sound was reverberating around the around as some couple took to the dance floor.

_Na oneul geudaeege halmari neomuna manhayo__  
__Budi nae yaegil deureojul su innayo geudae hoksi innayo_

Whoever was emceeing was awesome. I'd have to thank them. My arms were around Cloud's neck as we swayed to the beat. Even in the dim lighting I could make out his crystal-like orbs. I wondered if I would go blind from staring so much. His hands on my bare skin were sending shivers down my back. I wonder if he could feel it too.

The song hit the chorus and the bass hit hard.

_Mal geu mal uri jigeum nanwobwayo_

_Na jigeum halmal isseoyo  
Hustlin hustlin I'm_

"You having as much fun as I am?" I asked.

"It depends on what you're thinking."

"I'm really enjoying myself."

He chuckled. "That makes two of us."

The massive sea of people made us invisible to any looker on. But it felt like we were the only ones in the room.

So with my arms around his neck and his hands around my waist, we danced into the night.

~0~0~

"How was your date?" My mother stayed and waited up for me along with my sisters. They were all perched on my bed.

"Oh you know," I shrugged it off.

The three of them looked at each other knowingly.

"Hmm. Spill," Mom prompted.

I kept them in suspense as I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

"We danced all night."

"Mulan's class pay off any?" Yuffie asked.

"Definitely. And he had some moves of his own." I answered between brushes.

"Ugh thank God. I don't think I could handle being around another guy who danced atrociously."

"What was his name again?" Kairi asked.

"Rikku's older brother right?"

I rolled my eyes but giggled at the truth of the statement.

"This guy wasn't boring in the least. We talked about-"

"Hopefully not about the fund raiser."

"Of course not."

I dished all the dirty deats to my mom and sisters. From dancing to meeting all the chill people. After an hour they relented and let me shower. I finished scrubbing the night's sweat and smoke off of me and I threw myself onto my bed.

As I settled my head on my pillow the kiss replayed in my head.

"_I need to get you home on time." Cloud was worried about bringing me back on time._

_I laughed. "My mom doesn't care much about that. Now my dad on the other hand…" I trailed off._

_I saw the shocked look on Cloud's face and said, "He doesn't live with us. You'll be fine."_

_He let out a breath and visibly relaxed. "I thought I saw my life flash before my eyes," he held the hand he wasn't steering with to his heart._

"_Rest assured you have at least sixty more years on this earth left."_

"_Can I spend some of those years with you?"_

"_Hmmm," I put a hand to my chin. "I'll have to think about it."_

_When we reached my house, he double parked his car and made his way out to open my door._

"_Oh such a gentleman."_

"_Of course. Only for a cheonsan." I giggled at this._

_We walked up the stairs leading to my front door. The many many stairs._

"_Guess I'll see you on Monday," I said._

_We were standing so close I could feel his breath escape his mouth. Mmm green mint._

"_I actually have something to give you," he said._

_I smiled, "Really what?"_

_He pulled something from his pocket. I chuckled. "You didn't have to get me this."_

_It was a small PDA. It looked like an older Blackberry model. The screen was just right for what I'd need to be doing. I was getting a little tired of writing everything on a small notepad._

"_I figured you could use it. We'll be working all hours on this fund raising thing."_

"_How thoughtful. Thank you." When I looked back up to him, his mouth slowly met mine. Our lips barely brushed against the other before he completely captured mine in his. It was a sweet and fiery exchange. The electricity that we felt could have caused a power surge in the county._

"It was wonderful," I whispered to myself.

* * *

**Songs used: Crayon – G-Dragon**

**Demons – Starset**

**Gives You Hell – All American Rejects**

**Gotta Talk to U - SeungRi**

**I kind of left it up to you to figure out what was said when the characters were speaking in another language. Namine was speaking French with her father and of course Cloud's friend was speaking Korean. Google translate is like my best friend when it comes to this. I thought of Han from Fast and Furious when the house party came up.**

**I didn't plan on the scene with Namine's father at the end of their 'girls' day. It just kind of happened. I imagined a mature adult version of Tamaki from Ouran High Host Club for Namine's dad. It just seemed fitting.**

**I have Namine's date outift on Polyvore. Go check it out!**

**I'm sorry it took so long to put this out. Work and all that jazz. If you have any ideas, things you'd like to see, or any suggestions just lemme know :3**

**Until then**

_Sook_


	13. We Just Want to Have Fun

**Aha! Did I surprise you with this update? I definitely surprised myself. Just thought I'd give you something to look forward to on Friday. And right now is as good as ever to post this seeing as I'm completely busy this weekend.**

**I'm surprised it made it out this early though. I edit these chapters at least six times over before even uploading it to the site. Although I'd appreciate it if you point out any mistakes I might've made.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! Otherwise I'd be rich and driving an Audi. But a girl can dream.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Here's the recap:

_**My sisters help me get ready for my date**_

"_I just don't like any of these outfits."_

"_You're hopeless," Yuffie says._

_**We spend some one on one time with our dad**_

_**He helped with my nail design…sorta**_

"_Hey I may not be a girl but I run a capable business. I think I can match a simple color scheme."_

_**And we made him try boba tea**_

"_It felt like a sardine eye just popped in my mouth." He grimaced._

_**He gave me a little heart to heart**_

"_I love you and I'm not going to impose on your choices but you need to be safe."_

"_Don't settle for anything less than the best. Even when you think you've got it, aim higher."_

_**I have my date *eyebrow raise***_

_As we made our way into the dimly lit house, the light smell of sweat and smoke assaulted my nose._

_I could feel myself start to move to the beat of the music.__ I wasn't too shocked when I found that Cloud could keep up with me._

_**I met a few people who were as cool as the host**_

"_I know this place in Chinatown that makes some boss kimchi," Greg says._

_Gemma holds up a finger. "Just because I have a little garden on my patio and I made all my own clothes-"_

"_That's not even mentioning her collection of Starbucks littering her car."_

_**I sang along and danced with almost everyone**_

"_When I see you face hope it gives you hell. Hope it gives you hell!"_

_**We got our slow dance that every cheesy teenage movie seems to have**_

"_I'm really enjoying myself."_

_He chuckled. "That makes two of us."_

_**The night ended well**_

_Our kiss was a sweet and fiery exchange. The electricity that we felt could have caused a power surge in the county._

* * *

**Chapter 12: We Just Want to Have Fun**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Sunshine of Your Love – Cream_

I knew it was a bit cryptic but I liked it. It was a simple understandable statement, yet it held much more than it was really letting on. I hit enter and watched as it appeared on my Facebook feed.

_Natural order is disorder. New growth cannot exist without first destruction of the old._

And strangely enough it was describing my school year so far. It was only the first week of September but as far as the decisions I was making, I was unhurriedly heading in a new direction.

Surprisingly Dad made me dish on all the details of my date. For obvious reasons I kept it to the bare minimum. I loved my dad, but there are just some things that a teenage girl needs to keep to herself. We hung out at his cousin's house, I ate to my stomach's content, and I danced. A lot.

He laughed when I described the enchilada's heavenly sauce. He also gave me a slight reminder of what we spoke of the day before. Which I expertly dodged.

He reminded me of staying at his place and I made sure to request off from work.

Work on Sunday went as per usual. It was a slow day and I spent most of it chatting with my coworker Lani. It was a slow day that was filled with handing rich people warm towels for their face and leading them to their respective rooms. Something about Saturday had me in high spirits for the next few days.

Monday morning came sooner than I was expecting but I wasn't dreading it. As I sat in Riku's Jaguar, I found myself spilling my guts to him about my weekend. Don't get me wrong, we're very close, but there was never a need to gush over something trivial as a date. But for some reason I felt like I was a bubbling pot waiting for the lid to be removed and let out all my steam.

And as the wonderful best friend that he was, Riku sat patiently and listened to me as I recounted my weekend.

"Why didn't you invite me?" Riku jokingly questions with his eyes on the road.

"Because you've yet to cut your hair. I'm simply ashamed to be around you," I shrug.

"Then why are you hanging around me now?"

"I just have no other ride to school." He keeps one hand on the wheel and playfully pushes me with the other.

"Are we still on for Friday?" he asks.

"Um I wasn't aware that we _made_ plans."

"Axel apparently is playing a gig. I figured you'd be going." Axel and some friends had formed a band a while ago; they called themselves RADZ. They did covers and were mostly a rock/metal oriented band. I have seen a few of their shows and let me say that I am thoroughly _impressed_.

"I thought I saw a poster for that."

"What'd you think of it?" Riku asks.

"I thought it was a random doodle."

He snorts.

"Well it had a stick figure with flaming hair being struck by a lightning bolt. I just thought Demyx was using the paper as an excuse to put graffiti around the school." Demyx usually created posters and was in charge of their advertisement.

We laugh as Riku pulls into the school's parking lot.

"Well he is for sure playing this Friday. You game?"

I shrug. "Not sure yet." I wondered if Vanitas wanted to practice some more.

"Well I might go with Rinoa if you have other plans."

"Ok." I smile. I felt really happy for Riku, though I didn't voice anything. My mind was elsewhere. I'd tease him another time.

0.0

On the way to my locker I felt my phone vibrate in my bag.

_**Hey**_

I felt something strange stir in my stomach when I received Cloud's text.

_**Hi**_ I responded.

I should've really put something less dorky and dull but it was too early for my brain to process much.

I quickly texted him again. _**How was the rest of your weekend?**_

_**It was great. How was work?**_

_**It went well. It was a slow day.**_

_**I would've rather hung out with you**_ I pause over the send button. I shake my head and erase the message. I don't want to sound desperate or clingy.

"Whatcha smilin' for sweet cheeks?" Selphie was at my side as I opened my locker door.

I chuckle at her question and shake my head.

"Oh," she waves me off. "You're probably talking to your latest eye candy." She shifts her feet and looks at something in her hands before pulling out her own phone.

I openly laugh at her bold statement.

"So are you going to Axel's show?" she asks.

"Mmm I don't think so."

Cloud texted again. _**I'm sure it was fun with the down time you got. You know, as long as you didn't try to drown anyone in their mud bath**_

Unashamedly I laugh and type another response. _**No not yet. Though I almost tripped this lady on her way to the steam rooms **_I reply.

"So I'm throwing a party Saturday night."

"Mmmhmm I'll be there." I try to keep eye contact with her.

Selphie could tell I was distracted. "Well let me know if you change your mind girly. Axel's shows are always hot," she says before walking off.

"Kay."

I smile as I turn my attention back to my phone.

It wasn't too long ago that I met the puzzlement that was Cloud.

_At the time I was with Axel. Or at least in the moment of digging my claws into him._

_Lumiere's French class wasn't boring; by far it was the opposite. He was charming, eccentric, and very passionate. Especially about artwork. He basically let us do whatever we wanted, save for burning the classroom down (which Axel succeeded in doing anyways), if all of our assignments were completed and we respected his authority. He was a very chill teacher._

_We never had assigned seats; Lumiere said it was a nuisance for learning. But after a fight broke out (in the classroom) because some girl's boyfriend and her dude on the side met each other, Mr. L decided to make a seating chart. And so the sixth week of the class went on with our new seating arrangements. Guess who I sat behind?_

_The first thing that struck me about him was the almost angelic glow his hair seemed to give off. While mine looked like spun gold, his was a white gold. The kind that rich people adorn all over their person when they hit that 9 figure salary. I had seen him around the campus a few times. I knew that he was on the soccer team and heard he was a great player. _

_When he turned around his eyes rendered me speechless. It was like I'd been physically struck with a glacier. His gaze was soft but intense._

_He must've noticed I wasn't paying attention because he was waving a hand in my face. I blinked slowly; I hadn't caught a word he'd said. My thoughts and attention were wedged inside a crevice of my head._

"_If you don't have another pen that's ok," he said._

_Without breaking eye contact I reached into my bag and pulled out a pen._

_He gave me a shy smile and muttered thanks before turning around to finish the assignment._

_I immediately rated him. He was about 7. His smile was gorgeous. It was fall but I could make out definition beneath his sweater. It was an emerald green that brought out his blue eyes and complimented his skin._

_Ok maybe a 7 ½. _

_No I was not _smitten_. He just intrigued me. Something about his hermit-like demeanor made me want to open the shell to see what was really inside._

~0~0~

_BGM: Night by Night (Oliver Nelson Remix) – Chromeo_

Quistis briefed me on the next articles that I would need to complete by Wednesday. I had already finished the spread on last week's show so that was one less thing I had to do.

I typed that into the PDA that Cloud had given me and set a reminder for each task. I'd need to keep up with my homework if I didn't want to play catch up.

My classes came and went in a blissful daze, my thoughts drifting back to Saturday. My mind was busy strategizing my next moves. I just hoped that Riku was taking notes in the two classes we shared. I wasn't really paying attention.

Volleyball practice rolled around quickly and I changed in the locker rooms. While pulling the sleeveless black athletic shirt over my head, I heard my phone whistle.

It was Axel. _**Hey are you gonna be at my show?**_

_**I wasn't planning on it**_ I responded and pulled my hair into a ponytail.

_**Thought you could bring some heat with you**_. I smiled. I didn't really think that anyone followed my lead, but Alex seemed to think so. And he was hoping that I'd bring more people to his band's show.

_**Aww I'm sorry**_

Why was I keeping my weekend open? I wasn't exactly entertaining any other plans. Or was I hoping Cloud would ask me out again?

He sent me a frowny face. _**Maybe another time. I'd love to hear your voice again**_

_**It was only a practice session **_I remind him. One time I was hanging out with Axel's band and we were just messing around. Demyx got me to sing and he was trying to match the tune to the beat on his guitar. Then Zexion and Roxas got on their instruments too. I had fun, but that was simply it. I wasn't planning on showcasing my talents, as he put it, to an audience of hundreds of strangers. I had just done it for fun.

_**I'll get you on that stage one way or another**_

I rolled my eyes as I finished tying my laces.

_**Sure sure**_ I respond before leaving the locker room.

"Alright girls, we have a JV game Thursday night and a Varsity game this Friday. The game on Friday will be right after your last class ends, so be here on time. We need to make every practice count," Aunt Tifa says.

As she splits us into two teams I see one of the JV members, on my team, point towards me and say something to her friend. Does she want something? She wasn't making any move towards me. I brushed it off and turned my attention back to the coach.

We were just doing a basic game run through. Piece of cake.

Yuffie was on my team and it was her turn to serve. My position was in the middle of the court. It was one of my strong suits, next to spiking the ball and calling girls names from the net.

I watched as each girl took a turn to hit the ball. My mind kept drifting back to Saturday. It was fun dancing with Cloud. Finally there was a guy who could keep up with me. I thought that shy guys were endearing, but with certain things it was better to have a more unguarded person. He certainly didn't disappoint me in this regard.

A team mate hit the ball over to me and with the palm of my hands I hit it back over the net.

After learning some more things about him, I'd average him out to an 8. His smile really did light up everything about him. I thought it was hot that he worked as a mechanic. Replacing a camshaft. Grease from the gears on his hands. I wonder if he wore a tool belt. All sweaty over a hot engine…

I could feel heat rising in my cheeks and it wasn't from the workout.

I thought I heard some whispering from the girls on my team and leaned my body in that direction.

"Yeah wasn't she with him this Saturday?" I nearly missed the ball and hit it just before it touched the floor.

I watch as the ball goes over the net but keep my ears trained on their conversation. "Her next victim?"

Excuse me?

"They might actually be matched."

"Is he as bad as…" she moves over to hit the ball to a girl in front of her. Dammit I was missing their gossip.

I glance over to them before tearing my attention to the ball heading my way. An idea struck me and I quickly hit the ball, guiding it over to the whispering girls. It clocked one right in her face.

"Ow," the blonde held a hand to her head as I tried to hold a neutral face.

I gasp in faux surprise. "I'm sorry. Are you ok?"

"Oh, its fine. I wasn't looking," she brushes it off.

"Pay attention next time," Tifa calls from the sidelines. "Shake it off." I turned back to my spot and smirked.

If you can't respect me as the team captain then you'll at least learn to respect me as a person with feelings.

Safe to say that their conversation ended there.

After Tifa ended practice I quickly sent a text to Riku.

_**I have things to do. Could you be quick?**_ I needed to start on my homework, which I probably wouldn't understand and the articles for the newspaper were waiting to be finished.

_**Yeah yeah I'll be there when I'm done showering.**_

"I'm calling for an early morning practice on Thursday," Aunt Tifa says before leaving the locker rooms.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Long Way To Go (Two Can Remix) - Cassie_

It was the first week of September; I said 'what the hell' and decided that now was as good as ever to start this 'experiment' that Mulan had spoken so highly of.

So on Tuesday after our dance class, Vanitas and I approached Ms. Fa.

"So we decided to take you up on your offer," I say.

"Great," Mulan smiles. "Are you ready?"

I raise an eyebrow. "You mean now?"

"Well after school of course. Do you two get out early for extra curriculars?" she asks.

"Yeah," Vanitas answers. I wanted to ask him just what for.

"Ok. Meet me in the teacher's parking lot after you're released. We'll take my car over to the studio." Mulan walks into the school to her next class.

"Are you just going to skip class?" I ask Vanitas.

"I have yearbook," he says as we make our way into the building.

"Wait a second, Vanitas that doesn't count as an extracurricular."

"Oh yes it does. If I need to leave class to take pictures," he reasons.

_Hmm that was actually a deviously smart excuse._ I shrug, "Ok." It was Tuesday which meant that Yuffie and Kairi were with Master Eraqus' this afternoon. They would be out of my hair and not bothering to pester me with questions like where I was going and what I was doing.

I was heading to my locker with Vanitas in tow. After leaving my dance bag in the small storage we made our way to the elevators.

"Um where are you going?" Vanitas asked me.

I take out my elevator pass and swipe it against the scanner. After a minute the doors opened. "I have special privileges too."

0.0

I told Riku not to wait for me after school. I figured that I could just catch a ride with Vanitas back home. I didn't exactly ask him but I wouldn't give him any chance to say no.

Mulan met us in the teacher's parking lot near the end of the school day. We took her car over to the dance studio.

"Ok we are going to start small. First we need to do some stretches. It's key because we don't want any cramping and injuries."

We started by doing a snake. Most of the stretches were yoga based which made it easy for me. Mulan did the stretches with us. The three of us laid out on some mats that she pulled out for us.

"Now, you're slowly going to lift both feet to touch your head. Only go as far as it's comfortable." I was able to reach all the way. "Good Namine. Now slowly lower your legs and return to the starting position." She had us then lift our legs slightly and stretch our arms in from of us. "Now reach out like you're superman," she chuckled.

After a few more stretches we started on tumbles. "Ok now we're just going to do basic tumbles. Go at your own pace." I did it first and Mulan said, "I see you're quicker in your movements. It's because of your body type. Vanitas was a bit slower paced. When you two dance though, you need to match movements to the T." She had us do a few cartwheels. This was just the easy part.

"Now I want you to try a front walkover. It's very similar to the cartwheel." Mulan demonstrated for us. She walked a few steps before doing a flip onto the mat. "The key is balance in your arms and legs. Your arms need to be able to support your weight. And your legs can't fishtail in the air. Maintain that control." She proceeded to break down the foundation of it.

She had Vanitas spot me, while I tried the move.

"Namine just do a basic hand stand." I start on the floor on my elbows and hands and quickly lift myself up. Vanitas gently grabs my legs. "You have a great form. Now slowly split your legs. Can you hold that position?" she asks me.

"Not for long. I think my arms are about to give."

"Alright now finish off the move like I showed you." Once Vanitas released my legs I lowered my body and did a split.

"Well that isn't exactly the move I was trying to do."

"You'll get it with practice," Mulan laughs. "Your turn Vanitas."

I tried to spot Vanitas. "Stop squirming," I scold him.

"If you would stop tickling me," he says.

"I'm not tickling you. My hands are holding your long legs."

"Your hair is tickling-"

"Oh shut up and do the move." I start to lean to one side along with his legs.

Vanitas and I tumble to the floor in a heap.

"Van get your feet _off_ me," I say from the floor. Thank God our shoes were off. I wasn't about getting a shoe to the face.

After we got back up and found our bearings we continued to practice. A back hand spring, the bridge, and simple lifts were a few things that Mulan showed us.

"Well that went well for the first practice," Mulan says once we arrive back at school. "I want you to work on your upper body strength. Try lifting light weights, like around your home. See you tomorrow in class."

"So that means we need to practice on our own."

"I guess so," Van shrugs.

"Hey I need a favor."

"As long as I don't need to hide a body," he says.

"No not today. Meet me at my locker though. I need a ride home," I say before walking off.

~0~0~

_BGM: Good Intent – Kimbra _

Selphie asked for my help with her spread in the newspaper. How hard it was to pick out an outfit would not be lost on me. After the fiasco last Friday afternoon, I'd never judge a girl about her dilemma on deciding what to wear.

I helped her come up with some outfit ideas and even suggested she do a piece on someone's style; whether it be a celebrity or a classmate. I posed Blake Lively since her taste seemed to be impeccable. Although some of her outfits from Gossip Girl were questionable. I was sure that Quistis would enjoy the break from Selphie's usual articles.

Our Wednesday volleyball practice was more or less the same. And Thursday's morning practice nearly killed me. I stayed up too late reading Paper Towns. The last thing I remember was the main character talking about Radar and his parents' obsession with Black Santas. When I woke up the pages were stuck to my face with spit pooled around my pillow. Two cups of coffee later, I was about as ready as a jack rabbit in a race, for the practice.

I was very focused on keeping my team working together. I wished my JV members luck on their game that afternoon before heading home.

"I'm going to try something." I was in my living room that Thursday with Vanitas. Mulan had other plans so we just made our way to my house. I got the front walkover down pact by this time. Vanitas was having a little trouble so I helped him after school.

"Lift me up when I come back up," I instruct. I do a front walkover once and Vanitas lifts me in the air a little. "Hold that." I felt his hands start to shake after a while. "Come on Van, I'm not that heavy."

"You try this then." He slowly puts me down.

"Well that was better than yesterday."

"Namine you can't expect us to become experts in a couple of days." We did just start learning some acrobatics two days ago. This was just the stubborn and perfectionist side of me coming out.

I sigh, "I know."

"Hey I wanted to try this dance routine. Care to help me?"

"Yeah. What is it?" I ask.

"It's a song by MBLAQ. Don't worry its nothing too complicated," he reassures me.

"Ok, I hope it's nothing sulky either."

"Yes, because I'm just the epitome of sunshine and all things lovely."

"You're such a crapehanger."

"So the beginning doesn't have much of anything." He pulls out his phone to pull up a YouTube video.

"Here," I take his phone and hook it up to the TV. "That's better." We watched them dance on a larger screen. When G.O. came on I started to slowly mimic the moves. I spread my arms out a little and retracted them a bit. When they did a weird move I stopped and continued to look on with Vanitas.

"So this is like a bit of Pop and Hip-Hop," I comment.

"Yeah this song is slower so it'll be easy." We watched the entire video through twice.

_Namjadapge bonae julkka_

_Kkwak jabeun soneul nwa julkka_

"I like the chorus," I say when they turned around flipped the bottom of their jackets out. It seemed easy enough.

We practiced the dance a few times. "Well I'm having problems with this move," he says. It was right before the bridge.

"Here lemme show you. After they cross their feet and finish that move they kind of bounce here, like this," I show him. "Then they transition into this," I cross my left leg over my right and brought my left hand away from my head in a wiping motion. I walk over to Vanitas and place my hands on his shoulders. "Like this," he slowly bounces as I push down twice. "You're a bit too stiff. Loosen up." I shook his shoulders.

"And this part where they move their shoulders like this, relax a bit."

"How's this?"

"Yeah, that looks right."

After he straightens himself up he asks, "Do you think acro could be incorporated into this?"

"Hmm yeah. During some of the transitions. When there's a pause in their choreo. It would work well with the pace of the song," I respond.

We continued to work on the routine.

I could slowly feel the wear of the day weigh on my body. After Vanitas left I decided to shower and take a quick nap. Too bad my body had other plans. I slept through the rest of the night.

* * *

**Songs used: Be A Man – MBLAQ**

**The dancing was a little hard to describe. I hope it wasn't too hard for you to visualize. Although on there are really great visuals of all the acro moves I've written about: wiki/Acro_dance **

**Until then**

_Sook_


	14. Let The Games Begin

This seemed a bit like a filler to me. Although that was not my intention.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the story line. If I did own the Kingdom Hearts franchise though *rubs hands together* chaos would ensue.

* * *

Recap

_**Axel's band is playing this weekend**_

"_Yeah I thought I saw a poster for that."_

"_What'd you think of it?"_

"_I thought it was a random doodle."_

_**My thoughts are elsewhere**_

"_Whatcha smilin' for sweet cheeks?"_

_I chuckled and shook my head._

"_You're probably talking to your latest eye candy."_

_**Volleyball practice was…**_

_Two JV girls were gossiping and pointing towards me. I brushed it off for the moment and the sake of the practice. But-_

"_Her next victim?"_

"_Is he as bad as…"_

_I had enough of their gossip and hit one of them in the face with the ball. In my defense they should've been paying more attention to the game._

_**Vanitas and I practice acrobatics with Mulan**_

"_I'm not tickling you. My hands are holding your long legs."_

"_Your hair is tickling-"_

"_Oh shut up and do the move."_

_**We practiced and danced on our own. And I manage to skip dinner due to my exhaustion.**_

* * *

**Chapter 13: Let The Games Begin**

~0~0~0~

FRIDAY

_BGM: Irresistible – Fall Out Boy_

I was let out of class at 2:55 and Quistis about talked my ear off as I went to the gym to change my clothes. She already had a list of things that needed to be done for the newspaper as well as the fundraiser.

The game wouldn't start until 3:20 so I was stuck listening to her gripe about Selphie's indecisive column and Pence's disinterest in contributing something 'suitable.' Her words not mine.

"I'll speak with Principal Ansem about finalizing details. Could you speak with the chefs and see what can be done about a bake sale of some sort. I know how tight you are with Jacques."

Tifa made us run light drills for a while before the other team arrived.

Quistis stayed to make sure 'iconic' pictures were taken. Although Pence did catch some great shots of the last game, I don't think she appreciated the photos of the JVs butts. _I _didn't really have a problem cause my ass looked good.

For most of the game I was stationed by the net and succeeded in distracting the opposing team. I was chewing gum to keep my mouth moist with sweetness and sharp with insults.

There was a short girl directly in front of me. And nothing but the net separated us.

I inhaled then blew a long breath into the blonde's face. "Smell that? That's what your breath _should_ smell like. Fresh and sweet. Not gross like the dog crap you're tracking around the court from your shoes."

In the split second she looked down, the ball passed her. I laughed to myself as my team scored another point.

To say we won would be an understatement. We completely murdered the other team: 40 to 16

Our game was a little off, but we managed to pull it together.

As we walked by the other team to shake their hands out of "good sportsmanship" I lingered a bit on the girl I insulted earlier. I gripped her hand a little tighter and pulled her closer to me.

"You played well. You just lack focus. And your left knee is a bit weak. Work on your strength training."

"Thanks." The look on her face was a bit astonished but I smiled and continued on my way.

The JV team made their way either to the lockers or the parking lot outside the gym doors.

I made my way to the showers and entered a single stall making sure that I brought my shower caddy with me. I quickly shampooed and conditioned my hair. I was visiting my grandparents and needed to be squeaky clean.

My sisters usually complained about me taking too long to get ready. Which is why Yuffie was finished before me.

"Are you going home after this?" I ask before putting shower gel on my loufa.

"No we're going to Axel's gig," Yuffie says from outside.

"Selphie going with you?"

"Yeah," I hear Kairi say. "She's picking us up."

"I'm surprised you're not going with us. Her party is tomorrow night."

"I'll be at the party. But I'm going into the city with Riku after this," I say.

"Okay," Kairi chirps. "We'll see you there Nami."

"Bye," I call from the stall. I heard their footsteps leave the shower and I continue washing up.

I went through my routine of getting ready and made my way out with a towel wrapped around me and shower slippers on my feet. My bag was sitting on the bench in the locker room and I pulled some clothes. After applying some concealer, mascara, and gloss I slipped on my black vans on and picked up my bags.

"You ready Princess?" Riku was waiting for me outside the locker doors.

"Ugh don't call me that." We walk across the almost empty gym and out the doors.

"Why not, you take just as long to get ready as one."

"Well if the shoe fits." I curtsy as he unlocks his car. I throw my bags in the back but keep my phone in my lap.

"So where are we going first?" he asks.

"Hmm…" I run a hand through his hair.

0.0

_BGM: Fast In My Car – Paramore_

"I promise I won't let them shave your head." He looks up at me from his chair in shock.

"Unless you _want_ to donate to Locks of Love."

"Namine…" His response is terse.

"I'm only kidding," I smile down at him. "Although it would be a lovely, unique color to get."

I turn my attention to the stylist and draw myself up to full height. "Vivi, please be very gentle with him. I want about three inches off the bottom. No more. No less."

Vivi is a hair stylist that I trusted deeply. One bad haircut from a madman with Albert Einstein hair was all it took for me to never let another touch my golden locks. I sported a bun to hide the bad 'layered look' that he decided looked good on me.

Vivi was a girl in her late 20s. Even though she sported a purple pixie cut, she was very in style with the latest hairdos.

"You know I'm a free spirit, Nam," Vivi responds.

"This is my main man. I can't have him lookin' like a fool. And I especially can't have him around me if he's sulking all over the place because of his hair issues."

She sighs. "Ok, I won't do damage to this silverette." She looks down at Riku. "Just three inches. I'll give you a deep condition first."

I picked up two bottles of conditioner. "Would you like Moroccan oil or coconut?" I ask Riku.

He gave me a look that said 'Are you kidding me let's just get this over with.'

With raised brows I say, "Coconut it is."

With no problems, or complaints, Riku's head finally looked good. After the wash and rinse, Vivi blow dried Riku's hair and it did this little flip at the bottom. I told him that he could start a new trend and he growled like a bear. We left the salon in high spirits. It was only 5:30 and the summer sun was still out, shining brightly.

I run my hands through Riku's hair. "Doesn't it feel much better?"

"Yes," he was reluctant to admit before shaking out his mane.

We were walking down the street, heading nowhere really.

I was starving and I verbalized this.

"Nams you ate two burgers at lunch."

"Those things were tiny." I did eat quite a bit at lunch but was _still _ hungry.

He rolls his eyes and sighs. "Can't you at least wait until we get to your grandparents?"

I shake my head. "Nope I need a quick fix now."

He sends me a side glance and slightly raises his brows.

"I'm going to perish right here on the street corner and you'll have to explain to my parents why-"

"Fine."

"Great!" I linked my arm in his and walked in the direction of a restaurant.

"Do you even know where we're going?" he asks.

"Absolutely no idea. But I'll follow my nose wherever it goes." We laugh at my Toucan Sam reference.

"I really don't see where you put all this food."

I shrug. "Look I burned a lot of calories during that game. Not to mention that I fell asleep before dinner last night."

"You missing a meal? That's hard to believe," he scoffs.

I pulled him closer to me by his arm. "It's true. Ask Kairi."

I finally spot a cart with Greek food and order something for me and Riku to share. After stuffing my face with the rice filled with special sauce, we took to walking around.

I ended up pulling Riku into some stores to try on ridiculous clothes.

"Are you aspiring to be a hooker?" Riku asks from the blue couch in front of the fitting rooms.

"Bitch I might be," I say.

I was wearing a skin tight black dress that came up to the start of my thighs.

"Well if you're going for that look then you've nailed it."

"Yeah, I can barely breathe in this." It needs to come off.

It sort of looked nice on the hanger and it was my size. Figuring it could be added to my club collection I picked it up. I only wore an 8 but it felt two sizes too small. I almost tore the thing off while trying to peel it off my body.

After catching my breath and putting my comfortable clothes back on I decided to see what else was worth looking at in the store.

I did buy some jewelry that was 75% off. Rings, necklaces, and some bracelets. Nothing stops a girl in her tracks like a clearance sale.

With my large Urban Outfitter bag in Riku's hand and our arms linked, we left the store. There was quite a walk before we would make it Riku's car. I hadn't realized how far we trekked for my quest of lamb and rice.

On our way back Riku spotted a familiar face. I wasn't really paying attention until he greeted them.

"Oh Cloud. What's up?" Riku says.

"Nothing much. Just picking up some things for my mom," he responds.

I noticed his eyes travel to our linked arms, but I didn't bother to move it.

"We're just hanging out. I'm stopping by my grandparents' later," I say.

"Yeah and Nams decided to stuff her face," Riku says to him.

I laugh and turn to him. "No I didn't."

An uncomfortable silenced settled.

Trying to keep things on the up and up I ask, "Are you coming to Selphie's party tomorrow?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "I hadn't thought of going."

"Well I'll be there. So at least you'll have a familiar face. It starts around eight."

"Maybe I'll stop by," he says with a small smile.

"That'd be great."

"I'll see you around," Cloud says to us both.

"Yeah," I say.

"Later," Riku replies as we turn to go our separate ways.

We made it to his car not too long after.

"Well that conversation wasn't awkward at all," Riku says as we take off.

"And why would it be?"

"Maybe because you were hanging on to my arm like a life line."

Oh well. "I was? Sorry," I shrug.

"You're not exactly going to give him the impression that you like him if it looks like you're more interested in other guys."

Well… "I see your point there."

After a beat I said, "I thought it was just me who felt the tension."

"Nope. It hit me like a freight train."

0.0

_BGM: She's Got You High – Mumm-Ra _

"Grand-mere!" I burst through the doors of their little home with enough energy for days.

"Nami!" My grandma pulls me into a gentle hug and kisses my top of my head. "Quelle surprise. Comment allez-vous?" (What a surprise. How are you?)

"I'm great."

Éclair Farron was fox for 50 years old. Her normally white blonde hair held a pink tint to it. In my opinion older people really shouldn't dye their hair strange colors, but my grandma found a way to pull it off effortlessly. It was pulled into a low ponytail but her fringe was released into her face. Her white short sleeved tunic fit to her body and showed off her lean shape.

"Il a été un moment mon amour," she says. (It's been a while my love)

"Oui je sais," I reply. (Yes I know)

"And Riku you've grown too!" she says in her heavy French accent.

He chuckles as she pulls him in for a hug.

"Where's grandpa?" I ask.

"Oh he's out getting some dinner. If I had known you were coming I'd have him get more."

"Oh no I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Namine's been eating like a starved lion." I gape at his words and shake my head.

"I have **not**."

"I see your appetite hasn't wavered," my grandma comments with a smile.

"Non, il n'a pas," I say. (No I haven't)

"While we wait for your grandfather, would you like to help me make some sweets?"

"Absolutely," this came from Riku. He was completely enamored with my grandma's French pastries.

My grandma made her way to a book shelf and picked out a pink and purple book. It was a recipe book that I bought for her last Christmas. I loved everything she made, but like older ones she never had written recipes. Of course I was distraught at this. How was I suppose to make it myself if she didn't use measurements?

I looked on as she set the book on the kitchen counter.

_Crème brûlée_

_Beignet_

_Pain d'épices_

_Coeur à la Crème_

_Charlotte à la Framboise_

_Punitions_

_Floating island_

_Mousse_

"Oh this one." Riku points to the macaron. Riku didn't have a sweet tooth but he would kill for one of those delectable bites.

"Oui one of my favorites. Namine if you could grab the food coloring and sugar. Riku get some bowls and jams from the fridge."

We went off in the vast kitchen in search of the items needed. it was only two of them living in the condo but it was a spacious home.

"I know you're probably tired of hearing this but how is school going?" my grandma asks.

"Pretty good," Riku says.

"Eh," I shrug.

"Are you still playing volleyball?" she asks as she whisks some eggs.

"Yes. We actually had a game earlier."

"They creamed the other team," Riku says.

"Yuffie is still playing?"

"Yeah, and she convinced Kairi to take up martial arts," I say before placing a bag of almond meal on the counter.

"Well self defense is a great thing to know."

"Dad said the same thing."

"Riku are playing soccer this year?"

"No, I switched to basketball."

"Yeah after he got kicked in his shin that was the end of being like Beckham," I laugh.

We spoke more about grades and the like before I brought up French. At this point Riku had lost himself in the colossal library that my grandfather had.

"Oh, you would like the learn more?" my grandma asks.

"Oui je referais." (Yes I would.) "I know a little but I'd like to get better."

The macarons were in the oven and she placed her hands on the counter. Looking me straight in the face she says, "And there is no ulterior motive to picking up la langue de l'amour?" (language of love)

I shrug. "Well maybe I just wanted to speak to you in your mother tongue."

"Oh please. Quel est son prénom." (What's his name?)

A blush started to work its way up my neck.

"Cloud," I barely whispered.

"Well mon chérie I will do my best to aid you in your quest. Do you have a notepad of some sort?"

"Why?"

"For notes of course. You'll need to write this down."

I pulled my PDA out and listened intently as my French Lessons of Love 101 commenced.

0.0

"Daiki, look who came to visit," my grandma says from the kitchen.

We had long ago pulled the macarons from the oven and filled them with sweet jams and crème. While Riku had stuffed his face with most of them, there were still a few laying on a serving platter.

"What are you doing here?" My grandpa scoops me into his arms for a bone crushing hug.

His graying beard was always neatly trimmed. Probably routine from being in the army. But that was the only thing he took away from the drilling lifestyle.

True to his easy going self he was wearing a Hawaiian print shirt and some cargo shorts. I guess that's retirement for you.

Daiki Odayaka is my father's father. The one who left his unhappy marriage in hopes of doing something more meaningful with his life. The struggles could be seen on his well-aged being, but his soul held so much happiness and hope that you'd never know any the wiser.

My grandpa was carrying bags of thai takeout.

After the table was set I indulged myself in coconut chicken soup, mango marsala, and dumplings.

My grandma caught my grandpa up to speed on our school lives so far. He was proud of Kairi's new interests (karate). Daiki was a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and practiced other martial arts regularly.

He turns to Riku and asks, "So you plan on making an honest woman out of Namine?" I started coughing on my drink as tears made their way out of my eyes.

Riku's eyes were as wide as mine as he makes a repulsed face.

"Never," he shakes his head.

"No offense Riku, but I'd really rather not ever travel down that road."

"We're more like siblings," he agrees. "That would just be the worst thing possible," he continues.

"It would truly be disgusting," I add.

"Ok we get it," my grandma smiles.

Changing the subject she says, "Riku your hair looks lovely. Did you do something different?"

_Yeah he finally cut it, dammit._

He sent me a look. "Thank you. I just came from the hair dresser actually."

My grandpa says, "In my day men wore their hair short and clipped."

"Oui and it matched their speech and demeanor," grandma says without missing a beat.

We laugh at them. It was refreshing how cute their banter was with each other. And after all these years it was still alive.

After my grandma wrote down some recipes for me, Riku and decided to take our leave.

"Alright come back to visit sweetheart. And bring your sisters next time."

"I'm sure they wanted to be here. I didn't exactly say I was coming by."

"It was great seeing you again Riku. Keep up the good work," my grandpa says.

"Yes sir."

_Oh Riku always the parental pleaser. I guess it was a bit of a shame that we never worked out. But then I wouldn't have someone to cause trouble with._

"Tell your mother that I would love to have some of that cake she makes around Christmas time. It is simply to die for."

"It gets her more drunk than an alcoholic in a brewery," my grandpa says lowly.

"Come back and see us."

"Yes, we really enjoy your visits."

Riku gave him a firm handshake before taking some bags with food into his hand.

A kiss on the cheek and a few hugs later we made it out of my grandparent's home and into Riku's Jag.

"I hope this doesn't go bad." He was referring to the desserts my grandma loaded me down with.

"It won't," I waved him off. I stuck the pastries in my lunch box. "They should be good."

My grandma made some crème brûlée and mouse in little soufflé dishes. I know mom would love these. Yuffie and Kairi would be lucky if there was any left over.

The clock on the dash read **9:26**.

"Hey we can still make it to Axel's show," Riku suggests.

I look down at my outfit. I was wearing a dark jean skirt and a plain white t. I was a little underdressed. Riku must've been following my train of thought.

"You might have a jacket or something in my trunk," he says.

"Quick thinking. What about you though?"

"I look fine, thank you very much." He was wearing jeans and a black v neck.

"Okay whatever you say," I shrug. I reach in the back of his car to get the bag with jewelry.

I settle in my seat with the bag in my lap as he drives to our next destination. "I thought you were going with Rinoa anyways." I hold up a silver pair of hoops.

"Something about cheer practice and new routines that she'd have to go over."

"Aww and you didn't offer to help?" I tease him. Maybe these gold studs. I pulled out a silver ring that swirled around my index finger.

"Oh, can it."

* * *

**Yes I made Namine 'full figured.' Although if you look at the average woman/girl, 8 is more than likely their size. They may not look like it but it is what it is. I've certainly been told that I look too small to shop in certain stores. But who cares, it's just a number.**

**I thought of Hayao Miyazaki for Daiki, Namine's grandfather. He seems to fit the character well. I find it funny that Éclair is French for flash of lightning. Get it? Cause Lightning is the character from FF and her name is Éclair. Isn't it clever? *waits for realization* No? Ok…**

**I may have put a little bit more than was intended in this chapter. I was really trying to break it up. What do you think about the length? Was it too long? Was it ok to end it where I did?**

**On a personal note, I really don't understand why people don't like FOB's new album. Personally I think its boss. And I love the feel of each song. I can just jam to every single one of the tracks. There's a hidden trace of alternative rock in there, but like every other band they decided to explore their musical options. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But if you don't like it, that's fine. To each his own, right?**

**Until next time,**

_Sook_


	15. We Can Work It Night By Night

**Tell me what you think about the length of the chapters. Would you prefer longer ones that you can read over a period of days or do you like shorter ones that you can breeze through?**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the story line.

* * *

Recap

**We kick ass at our volleyball game. The short girl in front of me takes the brunt of my insults.**

"_Your breath smells like that dog crap you dragged in."_

**After the game, Riku and I head into the city**

"_Doesn't it feel so much better now that your hair is cut?"_

**I see my grandparents**

"_Quelle surprise Namine!"_

**My grandma indulges me in my quest for sweets**

"_Macarons are one of my favorites. Namine if you could grab the food coloring and sugar. Riku get some bowls and jams from the fridge."_

**And I give them some updates on our lives**

"_Kairi took up martial arts."_

"_School is ok."_

"_I'm still playing volleyball."_

"_So you plan on making an honest woman out of Namine?" my grandpa asks._

"_Never," Riku replies._

"_We're just friends," I add._

**We weren't sure what to do with the rest of our night so**

"_You wanna check out Axel's show?"_

* * *

**Chapter 14: We Can Work It Night by Night**

~0~0~0~

FRIDAY

_BGM: Crooked – G-Dragon_

From the noise coming outside the doors I could tell that Axel's show was going to be bomb. The area was packed like a sardine can. I had been to a few of his shows and the crowd was always decent. But the venues were never of this magnitude.

I found a black half length jacket of mine in Riku's trunk. I slipped on a silver ring that spiraled onto my finger and some black studs into my ears.

After pulling my hair away from my face and into a high ponytail, I retouched my gloss.

Hand in hand, Riku and I walked into the dimly lit place. It wasn't quite time for the show to start but the room was buzzing with anticipation. The place was filled, wall to wall, with kids from school, a few faces I'd recognized from clubbing, and a lot of new people. I left Riku once he spotted Selphie and I met the band backstage.

Roxas was playing with his drumsticks and Zexion had his nose over a book in another corner. Axel was fiddling with his guitar.

"You nervous?" I call out.

"Never been better babe," Demyx strolls over and hugs me.

"Glad you could make it," Axel says.

"Well I delivered."

"It was a full house before you got here." I stuck my tongue out at Zexion's reply.

"Am I in for a surprise or do you have something new planned?" I ask.

I had dated two of the band members, and spent a substantial amount of time with the band itself. I'd heard every song they covered as well as some of the songs Zexion put together.

"We _might_ have a new song planned," Zexion answers.

After chatting a bit more about the show, I wish them luck and head back out to find my sisters. Hopefully Riku has found them by now. It was easy to spot them; Selphie was with them, wearing a bright orange dress.

"Hey girlie," she greets me with a hug and I get a mouthful of hair.

I pull back to see that Sora and Ventus are here too.

"Hey, glad you could make it." I hug both of them. "Your brother decided to stay in?"

"As usual," Ventus replies.

"We've been here for a while but I feel like I'm baking."

"Yeah I hope they come on soon," Kairi says before fanning herself.

It was a tight squeeze but we managed to stay together.

After what feels like forever a tall guy with dreds comes out on stage with a mike. A hushed silence falls over the crowd.

"These guys have been my friends for some time. And trust me, their sound is as good as their look. I know you've been waiting here for a long time so I won't drag this out. Put your hands together and show some love for my main man Axel and his band!"

There is a mixed response of hoots and clapping.

The curtain is pulled back in a long sweeping motion and Axel walks up to the mike stand. There are a few wolf whistles and girls saying 'We love you Axel.'

"We're RADZ," Axel says into the mike.

"Roxas you look like a beautiful daisy!" Sora calls out from the audience.

Snickers and laughter could be heard from the crowd, including my own.

Roxas' expression is a mix of mortification and embarrassment. He runs a hand over his face. _You idiot_, he mouths to Sora.

The introduction was brief and they waste no time in getting into the first song. Its fun, fast paced, and a great way to open.

The set consisted of basic crowd pleasers. An alternative song here and there, a core group of well known classic rock, and a few new age beats.

And overall it was a beautiful, lively, sensual performance.

I managed to stay close to my sisters and friends during the show. We sang along to some of the songs we knew and danced to the fun upbeat ones.

I didn't get a chance to say bye to Axel. Riku and I still had to make the drive out of the city and back home. And I wasn't going to fight my way through fan girls. I'd catch him at Selphie's party.

~0~0~

I was almost lost in thought about what to bring to Selphie's house tomorrow. Definitely needed something cute for her party. After a few outfit blunders, I decided on an ensemble I had been saving for a time like this.

"Now I just need to find matching shoes." When I found the perfect pair of wedges I placed all the clothes into a turquoise duffle bag and sat it in the living room.

After making myself some jasmine tea I basked in silence on the couch. I tried to plan the rest of the weekend time wise. I had done Hook's homework during Lavindra's class. And on the way to the city I did some Statistic problems. So Sunday night I would probably have to finish that up. I was glad that only two of my classes required me to do homework. Dance moves and yoga positions were something that interested me so it didn't really feel like a chore.

Not too long after, I heard the rustling of keys and watched as the front door opened. Placing my cup on the table in front of me I make my way out of the apartment.

"Hey sweetie. I thought you'd be at Selphie's." Mom greets me as she takes her shoes off. I follow her as she makes her way upstairs.

"I'll be there tomorrow."

I made sure to bring home leftovers so she wouldn't have to cook. Grandpa had given me a ton of noodles and chicken marsala and packed it into a big container.

"I was hanging with Riku after the game. And I saw Dad's parents while ago."

She bites into one of the macarons. "Oh God, that's good." She finishes it off. "Éclair certainly hasn't lost her touch."

"She gave me some recipes. So I'll be experimenting." I rub my hands together dubiously.

My mom put the tea pot on the stove.

"I should stock up on flour then. How was the game?" she asks.

"Fun."

"Did you make the other team cry?" she asks knowingly.

"What. Pssh no." She gives me a look.

"Ok, maybe just a few girls," I roll my eyes.

She laughs at my confession. My mom's been to a good amount of my games, so she knows how I play.

"As long as you had fun. I'm sure Tifa would at least say so. So do you need a ride to Selphie's?"

"I'll just take the bus to her house."

"Alright." She kisses my cheek and says goodnight. "I'm working a double tomorrow night, but I'll see you in the morning."

I go back to my room to finish packing. I didn't need much but I was antsy just waiting around. Trying to keep myself occupied I attempted to clean my room. It didn't work for too long and I grew tired of it before throwing myself onto my bed.

0.0

SATURDAY

"It wouldn't matter if you didn't go to Axel's show but I would've killed you if you didn't make it to my party, girl."

"Yes I know," I laugh.

I was on the bus headed to Selphie's house. My duffle bag sat at my feet and my purse strapped across my torso.

"I hope you came prepared."

"For what exactly?"

"You know, your boy, drinking games, to be my on-call emcee."

"You sound like you went all out for this. Wait a second. Who said anything about me-"

"I always do. Wait that can't go there!"

She must've been decorating her home.

"Yeah it's gonna be a great kick off to the school year. And Quistis has been on my case about the articles so I need to unwind. I just want it to be the party everyone is talking about for a long time."

"I'm sure they will."

"Yeah I-What are you DOING?"

I held the phone away from my ear. Even over the phone Selphie had a strong presence.

"I'll have to talk to you when you get here. Tidus almost dropped a speaker."

I laugh. "Ok. See you in a few." I hang up and place the phone into my bag.

Hopefully all of the decorations would finished by the time I got there.

~0~0~

_BGM: L8R – Azealia Banks_

"I told him to just meet me here," I say to Selphie.

"What? You should've come together that way my party would be the talk of the school."

"Me walking in with Cloud?"

"Yes, word travels fast at my parties. But generally, news about you gets around quicker than a trick on a corner."

I roll my eyes and apply a thin line of liquid eyeliner to my upper lid. I was sitting at Selphie's vanity at her house. Yuffie, Kairi, and I had planned to spend the night at her place. It had been a while since we had a sleep over. And it just so happened that she was also throwing a party.

"There I'm done." Selphie skillfully used her curling iron to make waves throughout her shoulder length hair. She set the flat iron in its stand and admired her reflection.

"That's a gorgeous dress," Yuffie comments. She was working her hair into two small buns.

Selphie twirls in the gold tiered dress. "It's a Caterina Masoni. Dad just bought it for me," she beams. Selphie's parties were always a lax environment and had a casual dress code, but she always dressed like the Queen of England.

"Will Sora and Riku be here?" Kairi asks from her seat on the floor.

"Um let me check." I pull out my phone and text Riku.

_**Is the hedgehog coming with you?**_ I ask.

My phone buzzes as I finish the cat eye on my lid.

_**Yeah, Roxas and Ventus too**_

"Yeah they'll be here," I answer her.

Turning away from the vanity I look at Kairi. "That's a cute ensemble you have on." Kairi was wearing a sleeveless red, pink, and black floral dress. It cinched right underneath her bust and flowed out to her thigh. A pair of black wedges adorned her feet.

"Who are you dressing up for?" Selphie asks.

"Wha- No its not- I'm not-" Kairi protests with her arms waving frantically.

"Oh leave her alone, Selph. Not everyone dresses up for a guy," I defend my youngest sister.

"Tell that to someone who doesn't know better." I shake my head. Oh Selphie. "You normally don't dress like this. I mean you always dress cute like a little china doll."

Selphie paused to apply some mascara. "But this is a bit different. I'll just keep my eye on you missy."

"I'm gonna do another run through," the hostess says and walks out of the room. Kairi lets go a breath from release of her interrogator.

I walk up to the full length mirror to take another look at my appearance. A purple and orange Aztec skirt and a white laced cami. I picked up a fake red flower and put it behind my ear for a nice touch of color. My wavy hair was tied loosely in a high ponytail. The tan wedges I had on gave me about two inches of height. I hated feeling like I was swallowed in a swarm of people. Hopefully I'd stand out in the crowd tonight.

0.0

Selphie had spent the entirety of this week planning the party. From the tea lights around the room and the small dishes filled with snacks, to the light dimmer she had put in, everything was done flawlessly.

It was around eight when our friends started trickling in. Riku, Sora, Aqua, Ellone, Axel, Saix, Yuna to name a few. There was a good amount of sophomores there that I recognized. The guys offered, more like were threatened by Selphie, to help move some furniture. It was a wonder than Mr. and Mrs. Telesco never figured out that their daughter threw massive parties (all the time). After throwing some chips in my mouth I walked over the sound system to hook up Selphie's iPod and selected a playlist.

_So give me all of your super love_

_Cause my body is a ghost for you_

_I'm waiting_

_Die here in your arms falling in love with you_

Mindless chatter filled the house as the bar and party games were set up respectively. It was almost ten o'clock when the party was in full swing; music blasting through the rooms, tipsy banter and jubilant atmosphere. No one had made the attempt to break the ice on the dance floor though.

I danced to the funky beat of Charli XCX and Yuffie joined me in the center of the living room. I loved Yuffie's inability to care about what anyone said or did. So even though we were the only ones dancing, we were having fun just being ourselves.

After the song ended I busied myself with greeting people. One thing I was good at was sweet talking . So as I spoke to them I slowly started dancing to the beat of the music. Slyly moving closer to the dance floor I 'trapped' some of the guests.

After leaving them stranded on the floor I made my way over to Kairi.

"Having fun yet?" I ask.

She shrugs. "You know how her parties can be." Kairi was the wallflower of our group and was off in an area by herself.

I picked out a bright red head and waved them over. Kairi needed to be more social.

"Hey Ariel. Whatsup?" I greet her.

"Nothing much. Just got here. Hey Kai-Kai." Ariel hugs my sister.

They were on a nickname basis apparently.

"Surprised to see you here. You would think with the shy way she acts she stays at home all the time."

"Quite the opposite," I say with a chuckle.

Ariel drapes an arm around Kairi. "Aww she's like my new bestie. This girl is the sweetest person ever."

Kairi blushes a little. "Oh stop it."

"Yeah quit it. You're making her as red as a tomato." Ariel and I laugh.

I deemed that Ariel was trustworthy enough to tote my sister around carefully. After a while their interests lay elsewhere.

"Come on, lemme introduce you to some friends," Ariel says.

"See ya later," I call after them.

I felt like I did my job as the hostess' advocate. Now it was time to complete my own agenda. In the huge sea of teens I finally found my boy. And it looked like he was nearing the end of his conversation.

Another techno song came on and I took the opportunity. I made my way over to say a quick hi and dragged Cloud onto the makeshift dance floor.

_When you're around me I'm radioactive_

_My blood is burning, radioactive_

_I'm turning radioactive_

_My heart is nuclear_

_Love is all that I fear_

_I'm turning radioactive_

_My blood is radioactive_

I wonder if Selphie was trying to set a mood with this music. She had opted for no DJ tonight. Usually one of the football or soccer players would offer but instead her iPod took the job. All I did was press the play button after placing it on the dock.

And I may have taken the chance to mess with her playlist.

0.0

Rihanna's Rude Boy came on and I made my way to the bar. In a different part of the kitchen stood Selphie's bar and one of my favorite places in her house. It really did remind me of a bar at a club. The counter was polished black marble. Behind the counter held the entire precious commodity. Smirnoff, Grand Marnier, Schnapps, Bacardi, Absinthe, Crown Royal, Bourbon Whisky, and Gin to name a few.

The person serving our drinks tonight was Tidus.

"Tidus, how did Selphie trick you into bartending tonight?" I ask him.

"I just offered."

"I really doubt that," Yuffie says from beside me. "Selphie has a way of bribing and blackmailing people to do what she wants."

Tidus just rolls his eyes and leans an elbow on the counter. "What can I get for you ladies?"

"I'll have a Sand in Your Shorts," Yuffie requests.

"White Russian," I say.

As he poured Vodka and Kahlúa together he says, "Yuffie I've no idea what the hell your drink is."

She scoffs. "And here I thought you were a good bartender. I'm sorry I was mistaken."

"Here let me help," a soft voice came into range.

"Hey Yuna," I smile.

Just then the hostess walked by. "Glad you could make it. You usually turn down my invites, but I'm glad you didn't this time." Selphie winks at her.

"I'm just there for the fun," Yuna smiles back. Apparently so. Yuna was reserved in her dress, usually settling for modest clothing. There was nothing wrong with that, but she never really showed any skin. Tonight she settled for a pair of jean booty shorts and an almost nonexistent white tank top that had a purple hood in the back. The tank was split right through the middle with a braided cord of black to fill the space. It was pretty risqué for Yuna, but I loved the top.

She makes her way behind the counter and pulls out a handful of liquor. Cranberry juice, OJ, peach schnapps, vodka and some other things. After throwing ice and the liquids into a shaker, she takes a tall glass, angles it in the bottom half of the shaker and works her magic. She pours it into a tall glass, drizzles grenadine on top, and hands it to Yuffie.

"How'd you know how to make this so well?" Yuffie takes a sip of her concoction.

"My father used to be a bar tender." Yuna skillfully empties and cleans the shaker. There was a small sink behind the counter as well. It could get tedious to go back and forth to the kitchen.

"Cheers," I lift my glass up to Yuffie's.

* * *

**Songs used: SuperLove – Charli XCX**

**Radioactive – Marina and the Diamonds**

**I thought it would be best to end it here. Didn't want to put too much in one chapter. I've added the outfit described for Namine to my Polyvore. Hope you enjoyed it. Review!**

_Sook_


	16. Let Go For Tonight

**Here's the continuation of the last chapter. I won't bother with a recap.**

**Dislamier: **I own absolutely nothing.

* * *

**Chapter 14 Part 2: Let Go For Tonight**

~0~0~0~

FRIDAY

_BGM: Remember to Forget You – Shakira ft. Rihanna/ MILK – F(x) _

I hit the dance floor and surprisingly Yuna joins me. I had long ago lost my drink and my boy. I could've sworn I saw him talking to Riku before I met up with Tidus.

I didn't really know how much time had passed but I didn't pay any mind either. In the lax environment and my friends around me I lost myself in the music. The surrender of responsibilities from school and volleyball was like unshackling from a prison wall.

I was so deep into the mood that I didn't notice myself being slowly dragged from the dance floor.

I turn to the owner of the arm.

"There you are," I smile at Cloud.

"I thought I'd never find you in this crowd."

I shrug. "It's a norm at her parties."

I started to lead Cloud away from the large crowd. I was feeling a bit thirsty and decided to make myself something sweet. The counters were filled with carbonated beverages but soda was never really my thing. Selphie had also set up a punch bowl. There was no telling what was inside so I would pass on that too.

I led Cloud to my next destination.

The bartender was missing so I took it upon myself to make a Squire. Goldschläger and Pepsi never tasted so good. After I pour the concoction into a cup I turn to Cloud.

"You want one?" I ask him from his seat.

"Yeah. Um rum and coke?"

_So basic…_

"Are you asking or telling?" I was cleaning the shaker and set it aside.

He chuckles. "I'm not much of a drinker so I don't know-"

"Don't worry, I got this." I mixed some brandy with triple sec. After pouring it into a solo cup with a few cubes of ice, I squeezed a slice of lemon over the top.

"Viola." I hand him the glass and he takes a sip.

He smiles. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get me drunk."

I giggle. "Shut up and drink up." I lead him away from the bar and into the kitchen.

I thought about a conversation starter. I could talk about cars but I don't really know much. And then he'll never shut up. School is a taboo topic right now. So is the fundraiser. Common ground, common ground…

"So Axel's band was awesome last night." Not my best but it'd have to do.

"I missed it."

"Working?" I question.

"Yeah. Someone called in last minute with the stomach flu. Had to rewire this guy's car."

"Oh that kind of sucks. Well let me give you a play by play."

As I ran through the amazing show that happened the night before I really took a look at Cloud. The way his mouth curled up into a small smile when I talked about some of the songs they played. His deep chuckle as I told him about Roxas' embarrassment on stage. The way he leaned a little closer to hear my words clearly.

"Maybe I can catch his next show."

"That would be great." I take a sip of my drink.

"Is someone smoking?" I swat the air around me. The air around us was starting to look smoky and filmy. It was obstructing my view.

"Let's go outside." Selphie would have a fit if someone was lighting up in her house. I would not be caught in her crossfire of crazy.

"If you're smoking you'd better be on fire!" I thought I heard her loud voice over the music and people.

I quickly pulled Cloud out the sliding kitchen doors and into the backyard. I left the door open a crack as we stepped onto the back porch. The patio was a nice stone gravel. There was a small chair and table set to the right. We walked passed that and I led him onto the lawn.

There are a few toys littering the yard. Probably from her younger brothers.

"Is that a…"

"Yep." I walk over to the wooden ladder.

As girly and prim as Selphie was, she had a tree house in her backyard.

I climb up first, careful to keep my cup balanced in my right hand. We both made it to the landing and sit on the floor. It was a decent sized tree house and was decorated with minimal furniture; a few bean bag chairs, a rug, some posters.

After making it to the top we each took a seat on a bean bag.

"Yeah Selphie has had this thing forever. She wasn't the typical girl who wanted a pony but she was just as demanding. Her father completely spoils her."

He chuckles. "Well props to her dad for building this."

"Yeah. I don't know why he would build a tree house this high for a little girl. I figured that it was for her little brothers."

"Selphie probably wanted another storage area for her wardrobe." He looks out the window to his left.

Selphie goes through clothes like a designer during fashion week.

"I wonder if she's comfortable with that dress. It's cute but doesn't leave much room to do anything."

"You're one to talk." He gestures to my attire.

"Hey I can get around perfectly fine." I stretch my legs out and cross one leg over the other.

He chuckles. "You're really doing a good job."

"With what?" I take a chug of my drink. It was sweet cinnamon.

"Multitasking."

"Yeah I guess so." I look into the cup. It never ceased to amaze me how they put actual pieces of gold into the clear liquid. Germany must be seriously rich. I took another swig. I set my cup down on the wooden floor. I shift closer to him so that I'm sitting right next him.

"I've always been able to juggle tasks with ease." _And you'll be one._

The Sidecar that I made for him was sweet on his tongue. His soft succulent lips were a delicate contrast to my hands on his strong jaw. I don't know what I craved more; his kiss or the alcohol lacing his tongue. His calloused hands made their way to my waist. My shirt had ridden up some, allowing space for him to touch my bare flesh. It was a warm night and the sensation brought chills to my skin. I gripped his shirt to pull him closer until I was sitting in his lap. Kind of awkward while wearing this skirt, but I'd make it work.

Moving a hand into his hair, I pulled him in to close the gap between us as I kissed his open mouth. With rugged fingertips and strong hands he brought my body flush against his.

I hear a whistle and try not to pay attention to it. I knew it was my phone but I really didn't care in that moment. We part for a quick breath of air and I hear my phone whistle again.

Ignoring it I picked back up where we left off. This time I was a little rough. I wasted no time in straddling Cloud. Our bodies were like opposite ends of a magnet; we were pressed together until there was no space between us.

"_Or do you ever think so far ahead? Cause I've been thinking bout forever. Oooh, oooh."_

This time my phone was ringing.

I sigh into Cloud's mouth. "Sorry it's my sister." I move my hand from his shoulder and pick my phone out of my bra. What? It had to go somewhere and this outfit did _not_ come with pockets.

I stand up and make my way to over to a window hole.

"What's wrong?" Something had to be wrong if she was calling me from a party that we were both at.

"I need you Nami~" a deep voice that did not sound like my sister comes out of my phone.

"What?"

"I knew you probably wouldn't answer if it was me. So I stole Kairi's phone." _Axel._

I scoff. "Seriously?"

"I was in the middle of something," I angrily whisper into the phone.

"Well since it's obviously over come and help me." I roll my eyes.

"You're too kind," he says at my silence. "Meet me by the food. I saved you some stuffed cheese puffs."

I felt my mouth watering at his proposal.

"Ok I'll be there in a minute."

Cloud and I make our way out of the tree house and back into the lively house.

"Thank God you're here," Axel says.

"Where's my food?" I cross my hands over my chest. I need something to dull the absence of Cloud's hot hands roving my body.

I saw the paper plate in Axel's hands.

"I'll take some of those sausage rolls too." I point to the table of food.

He obliged me and I led him away to somewhere we could talk.

If this is about Larxene-

"That girl is getting on my damn nerves."

"I knew it." I popped a cheese puff in my mouth. "What is it now?"

"She blew me off. She was supposed to be meeting me here."

"And," I fished for more.

"That's it."

"So what are you gonna do about it? Why don't you text her to see if she's coming?" I suggest.

"I'm not wasting my time with all that nonsense." His eyes meet mine.

"Well shit I don't know. Make her jealous? Go dance with another girl."

He looks at me and I interrupt him before he can start, "No not me. We both know it won't end well. She's my friend and I have something going on with Cloud if you haven't noticed." Because we were be getting all hot and heavy in a club house.

Axel joins me on the couch as we began to scale girls.

"Ok what about that brunette by the bar?" I point.

"Mmm a little too short."

"She's my height."

"Exactly."

I pop a cream cheese tart into my mouth. The flaky crust was a beautiful contrast to the smooth texture of the cream.

"What about Ellone?"

He scoffs. "I want Larxene to be jealous not think I'm pitying some girl."

"Well I don't know what to tell you."

After what seemed like forever I nearly gave up. It was ridiculous how long we sat on that couch rating my female peers. The food on my plate was diminishing quickly.

I saw a girl with short purple hair in my peripheral. Her shorts made it easier to check out that she had legs for days.

"_I'd_ tap that," I said under my breath. "What about her," I point to the girl who just walked passed us.

"Now that's much better."

"Go get 'em tiger." I slap Axel on his back before he leaves me on the couch.

I pick up a toasted piece of bread and bite into it. The crunch was a beautiful sound and I welcomed the mozzarella.

Selphie was Italian as they came. From her loud speech and hand gestures, to her love of wine and throwing parties. I had been over her house many times. Her mom's special recipe always had a large amount of tomato sauce or garlic. I just made sure to take gum with me when I went to her house. Garlic tasted great but made your breath stink for days.

And this slice of bread reeked of garlic. I probably wouldn't be doing anymore kissing for the night.

A fast techno/pop beat came on.

_I'm waiting for you__  
__Seodureuji ma eonjerado gidarilge__  
__Oh oh oh oh oh__  
__I bami jina urimanui sungane__  
__Naraoreuge oh oh oh_

_Let's french kiss__  
__Eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh__  
__Fly high tonight_

That Squire was tame. And I finished my plate of food that Axel had so graciously made for me. I wanted something else.

After loading the plate with some sweets, I headed over to the bar and sat on a stool.

"What can I get for you?" I was greeted with Seifer's smiling face. I wonder where Tidus went.

"Hey you." I felt my pulse quicken. Seifer was wearing his trademark beanie and a tight fitting green shirt.

Should I ask him questions, should I leave it alone? It was a party after all. People come to have fun…

"Hey back at ya. What would you like?" he asks.

"Surprise me," I say with a small smile.

_If Cloud was an enigma then __Seifer was a Rubik cube with eight sides. Outwardly he was cocky and a bit callous. He always acted like he was above everyone else and didn't look to anyone for attention. It just came to him. I knew there was more behind that cocky smile and crude confidence. _

"So how've you been?" he asks.

"Pretty great. We won our game yesterday."

_I wanted in on his head and that's exactly what I did. I even learned how to play Halo. I always had a strategy and this one won me a gold medal. One conversation about the newest game and it's amazing graphics and he was mine._

_His always eyes had a mischievous, alluring spark to them. But at very rare times they were the kindest and warmest shade of Prussian blue. Like a trembling puddle._

"What about you?" I pry cautiously.

At this he shrugs. "I could be worse. But I'm fairing pretty well."

_I might've overheard a conversation he had with his father. It wasn't something I was supposed to hear but it scared me nonetheless, shivering in Seifer's closet. I could tell just by that one instance that Seifer's father was cold, cruel, and controlling. And I could almost hear the fear for him rolling it off his voice._

_I didn't discuss it right away but when I eventually brought it up, he immediately shut me down. Then he broke up with me, saying that it was a mistake and that I knew too much about his personal life. I think this was one of the only times that I ever reached out to someone. _

"_You don't deserve this." I paused at a momentary loss at what to say. "You aren't any of those things that he said." I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He didn't brush me away but leaned into the touch._

"_Yeah ok," he scoffed._

_I slowly thought over what I could say. I could see the broken distant look in his eyes. I remember wrapping my arms around him and holding him tightly. This definitely wasn't the first time it happened. It made sense that he always wanted to be the dominant one and that he sought attention by being a jerk. We stayed together for the rest of our freshman year. He thought it was best to end it before the summer. That September when school rolled around no one questioned our breakup. Only Riku knew the truth._

_And sometimes people just didn't want to be helped._

Seifer handed me a Bahama Mama. _My favorite._

"Thanks," I smile gratefully. I hoped he could read the concern in my eyes.

I had finished the plate by the time my drink was done.

He winked and I walked off in search of my lost boy.

Seifer looked like he was doing better. I wonder how his mom was doing. Quickly I shook the thoughts of him away. I returned my mind to the task at hand. How I could lose him within a few minutes was beyond me.

"Rikku, hey." She stumbles into me.

"Nami." She hugs me. "You havin' fun? I am." As she reeled back to laugh I wondered how many drinks she consumed.

"Apparently not as much as you."

"Nope."

"Hey dance with me." She pulls me to the dance floor before I have a chance to say otherwise.

A pop/rock song came on. A slow guitar started off with a nice steady bass.

_You're attention is like heroin_

_When you give it to her I could shank a bitch_

_Cause you are mine and I would sacrifice_

Rikku was close to me as we danced to the slow song. Drink in hand, I sway to the rhythm with her.

_I want you_

_So bad I scream at night_

_Your face kickin up insane inside_

"You know unicorns aren't so bad once you get to know them."

"Rikku are you ok?"

"Of course. I just can't believe that the toaster was telling me that I was wrong," she tries to speak over the music.

At this point she was laying her head on my shoulder.

"Well you know you can only trust the chrome toasters," I say in response.

"Yeah, the fridge said the same thing."

What…

"Just can't trust yellow blankets. They always put a damper on things."

I could hear her snoring lightly. She was standing up but using me as a pillow.

"Someone please get Rikku off me." No one paid us any attention.

Damn these fools.

With my drink in one hand and my other grasping Rikku's lithe body I made my way over to the staircase. By this point I had to put my Bahama Mama down.

Trust me to be the one to take care of my drunk friends. I practically dragged up her the stairs and into Selphie's room. All the while she was talking about double rainbows and how only ponies with wings could reach them. Selphie could deal with that mess in the morning. I took a pit stop at the bathroom before making my way down the staircase.

Needless to say my drink was gone when I returned. I sigh, rounding the corner leading into the foyer.

"May I have this dance," a lovely voice graces me.

Finally. I thought I'd have to wait around all night.

"Yes, you may," I reply batting my eyelashes.

My drink was long forgotten.

I let Cloud be my main focus for the rest of the night.

* * *

SUNDAY

~0~

_BGM: Youth - Foxes_

I wake up the next morning with an arm around my waist and soft breath against my face. And it's actually welcoming for once. My hand rests on the chest and I snuggle in closer to the body that I hoped was Cloud. There was a strong possibility of it being Axel but I'd worry about that later. The heat radiating off of him pulls me back into a deep, comfortable slumber.

I'm not sure how much time passes but when I wake the second time, Cloud was gone. I stretch, spreading my arms out like an eagle only to roll right off the couch.

"Umff." The plush red carpet braces my short fall.

One good thing about Selphie's parties is that people know not to make a mess. Besides the fact that they would never be invited to one of her bashes again, Selphie got pretty irate when (she had to clean up extreme messes) things didn't go her way.

I slowly lift myself from the floor pulling my skirt down.

Hangover? I slowly rock my head back and forth. Nope.

I try to bring myself to full height but fail. I settle for leaning against the couch. At least all of my clothes are still on.

I lift up a foot and don't see a wedge. One of my shoes went missing.

My stomach growls. Well my appetite was still normal.

I take off my shoe to even my height. The soft carpet felt great on my feet. My arcs and heels thank me as a breath of gratitude escape my mouth. Taking in the rest of my surrounding I could see there were a few people scattered on the couches and floor.

I sit back down on the couch that I had rolled off of. I wondered what time it was. I had a shift at the spa sometime in the afternoon. From the light sunlight poking through the living room's blinds, I predicted it was around nine or ten.

I spot Cloud walking out of the kitchen holding two mugs in his hand.

"You made coffee in someone else's house?" My voice comes out a little raspy.

"No, when I got up the coffee maker was already on," he responds.

I nod. Probably Riku.

"I have a shift at like twelve." I take the cup from his hands, gratefully. The strong scent of coffee assaults my nose and I welcome it.

Blinking slowly I practically inhale the caffeine in a gulp. I need to shower the nights events away and eat something filling.

Just then my stomach growls.

Cloud's chuckle stirs heat in my cheeks and something strange and raucous in my stomach. Maybe it was just my hunger.

"You have any plans for today?" I ask to shift the attention away from my stomach.

He shakes his head.

"Well I need to find Selphie in what's left of her house. I was just going to have her drop me off."

"I can take you," he offers.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It wouldn't be any trouble. It's not like I'm having dinner with the governor or something."

"Okay, if you can spare time in your busy schedule."

Cloud waited for me downstairs as I got my things together.

Shortly after showering I put on my work attire. I was glad that the spa I worked at wasn't snooty. The dress code was basically a nice top paired with dress slacks or a nice skirt. As long as you didn't walk through the doors looking like a hooker or drag queen, you were set.

I pulled my clothes out of my duffle bag. I had a pair of black and white pinstriped pants and a white button up shirt.

"Where's my other shoe?" I said loudly. I had lost one wedge sometime in the night but still had the other when I woke up. I threw the brown wedge in the duffle bag and got down on the floor to look for it.

I sighed deeply as I continued my search around Selphie's room. I hoped it was in here. I really didn't have time to search her entire house. Grabbing the bottom of her comforter I flung it up onto the bed.

"How in the world did it get here?" I pull my wedge from underneath the bed.

"Selphie?" I whisper. There was someone underneath the bed.

"Mmm." The girl rolled over…onto another person.

"Well I'm leaving. I'll see you at school."

She grunts in response and waves her hand in an attempt to silence me.

I get all my belongings together and said bye to my younger sister.

She was munching on a blueberry muffin when I found her.

"Going to work," she assesses my attire.

"Yup. Cloud's driving me," I answer.

"Be home in time for dinner. You know how Mom gets."

"Yeah yeah. No need to lecture me." I pick up my bags and headed out.

* * *

**Songs used: **

**French Kiss – Hyuna**

**I Want You – Cassie Steele**

**I wrote the make out scene while watching Gotham. I really am strange aren't I?**

**I was debating whether to include Seifer's back story or not. The latter won out. It was definitely a different direction and a completely different territory to write about. I implied it without actually saying anything.**

**Anyways, as always I hoped you were thoroughly entertained with this chapter.**

_Sook_


	17. You Need to Get Your Eyes Checked

**This chapter is mostly dancing and acrobatics. And the fluff of course.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Otherwise I'd be rollin in dough.**

* * *

**Recap**

**Axel's gig was bomb**

_The area was packed like a sardine can._

_It was a tight squeeze but my friends and I managed to stay together._

_And over all the performance was amazeballs!_

**We party it up at Selphie's**

_I dance and talk my way through Selphie's house. I think I was doing a great job as the hostess' advocate._

**I spend some quality time with Cloud**

"_Voila." I hand him a glass of alcohol._

_As we kissed I couldn't decide whether I enjoyed his soft lips or the alcohol lacing his tongue more._

**Even though Axel interrupted my make out session in the tree house I eventually found Cloud again**

"_May I have this dance?"_

"_Yes."_

**Cloud was my main focus for the rest of the night.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: You Need to Get Your Eyes Checked**

~0~0~0~0~

MONDAY

_BGM: Can't Pin Me Down – Marina And The Diamonds_

"Come on! Put your legs into it! Strength comes from your foundation."

"Sarah you better **watch** that ball."

"That looks a little better."

"Keep your eyes on the ball _and_ your team members at all times."

"Don't be a ball hog Jenny."

Our afternoon practice was taxing after the weekend I had. And I could tell that some of my teammates were still nursing their battle wounds from partying, too.

They'd just have to bear through it like I was.

Aunt Tifa was barking orders at us. And making us run outlandish drills. Ok she wasn't exactly yelling at us. Although it would have helped if she toned down her volume a bit. and we were just a little rusty after the weekend. She either didn't notice we were half dead or didn't care. And I couldn't really blame her. It was the afternoon and we should've had all our senses up and running by then.

But I need sleep. And right away.

"Alright that's it for today." At the coach's dismissal, I run a hand across my forehead, taking sweat off my face.

We all drag ourselves to the locker rooms in silence and inaudible groans.

"That was crazy," a brunette says.

"Yeah. I kinda regret that party last night."

"Told you not to go Jenny."

"I can't really remember most of the weekend," another girls laughs.

"Ugh it's not even that. This was ridiculously grueling." The comment took another turn. "Tifa was extremely hard on us today," a blonde says.

I recognize her as one of the players talking about me last week. She also missed the ball several times during practice.

In the most authoritative voice I could muster, I turn to the girl and speak loud enough for everyone else to hear. "She wouldn't have to be if you would just pay attention during practice."

"Oh who asked you?" she says tiredly.

_Aw hell nah._

Before I can respond Jasmine quickly gets in the girl's face. "_That's_ your team captain," she points to me. "You think she got here just because of her good looks? It takes hard work and dedication. Follow her example and maybe you won't be in the dog house with the coach. And she's telling you something to help you out. So you better start respecting her."

I could see Jasmine's fist clench. I was really hoping she wasn't going to hit her. There wasn't enough room for a good fight in the locker rooms. But a part of me wanted to see a fight break out and a fist land on that blonde's face.

The girl just scoffs and walks off with her bags.

Ooh she was so lucky I was too tired to smack the attitude out her mouth. I'd deal with her another day. When sweat wasn't pouring out of all my pores and I had the energy.

After packing my things up I walk over to Jasmine. A thank you was in order.

"Thanks for that."

"New girls, think they own the place," Jasmine says before throwing something in her bag.

I sigh deeply. "Being team captain comes with baggage."

"Yeah. But you can't let one idiot get you down." She pats my arm. "You're a great captain."

I give her a small smile and say, "I thought you were gonna deck her."

She laughs. "So did I. I just didn't have enough energy to make it count. Why waste it?"

We say our goodbyes and I wait for Yuffie outside the locker room doors. It doesn't take too long.

"Her practice must be running over," she's referring to Kairi.

"I can't believe they're still out there. What in the world is Rinoa doing?" I wonder out loud.

I text my mom to see what she's up to.

_Hey we'll probably be home later. Still waiting for Kairi's practice to finish._

My mom responds right away.

_That's fine. I'll be home around 8_

This means we're eating leftovers for dinner. And I was looking forward to spaghetti or linguini.

"Let's see if her practice is over," I say.

Rinoa was keeping our little princess captive during her practices. Besides getting cheers down for the games and pep rallies, she was working her squad to the bone for the next show.

Yuffie and I make our way outside. The scent of fresh cut grass and cool breeze was welcoming.

"Why don't we ever have practice outside?" Yuffie asks.

"I don't know. It seems like a great idea. Bright and sunny." I try to picture it. There is a court outside with a volleyball net.

"Nature all around you."

I think about it for a minute more. "Bugs flying into your mouth," I cringe.

"Sweat due to lack of non artificial air."

"On second thought I think its best that we stay indoors," I say.

Our sneakers against the pavement provide the only audible sound until we reach the cheerleaders. They were practicing on the large expanse of blacktop near the bleachers.

"Alright let's do one more run through," I hear Rinoa say to her team.

Whatever they were working on took about another fifteen minutes. Rinoa would pause the music to correct any missteps and make them start the routine from the beginning. I could see our little sister run her hand down her face in exhaustion.

After rescuing Kairi from practice, we walked out of the school and to the nearest bus stop.

I heave my bags over my shoulders. "Sorry, we missed Riku. We'll have to take the bus home."

"Fine with me," Yuffie shrugs.

I read the schedule posted by the bus stop. Luckily we only had to wait a few minutes.

"So how was your date?" Yuffie waggles her eyebrows at me.

We sit in the back of bus dropping our bags at our feet. I position myself between my sisters.

"It wasn't a date. He just took me to a diner before work."

"Well what was it like?" Kairi asks.

"Lots and lots of coffee. I feel like he really gets me," I say.

"How long did you stay there?"

"Maybe an hour or two. And he wouldn't even let me split the bill."

"He paid for everything? Wow Nam he must really like you," Yuffie says.

"What makes you say that?" I ask her.

"You can put away a mountain of food like that," she snaps her fingers.

"Either he's rollin in dough or he enjoys having you around," Kairi chimes in.

"Well I have to agree with that."

"That he likes you?" Kairi asks.

"No, that I eat a lot." When Kairi makes an incredulous face at me I say, "Well yeah, everyone enjoys my company."

"What did you do after that?" Kairi asks.

"He dropped me off at work. He hung around for a bit, met some of my coworkers."

My sisters never really questioned my dating habits or the actual person I was with. While Riku understood the games we played, this information was typically off limits to my sisters. As far as they were concerned, their older sister just liked to play the field. And from what they could see, Cloud was smitten with me.

We'll just have to see about that.

After the tiring day we'd had, homework was the last thing on our minds. But slowly we trudged through it. Every long math problem, every stupid rock and volcano, all the proper grammar rules.

I don't know how much time passes before I hear my phone beep with a text.

_You busy?_

It was Van.

_Homework _I reply.

I was slowly working through another math problem. I couldn't quite remember what Mr. Bagheera said about the slope when it was a certain measurement.

Thinking quickly I sent Van another text. _I'll dance with you if you help me do my homework_

Let's see if Vanitas would oblige.

A few minutes pass before there is a knock on the front door. I pick myself off the couch to open the door.

"Glad you could make it," I greet Vanitas. "Now on to the wonderful world of Statistics."

After my brain about turned to mush Vanitas helps me turn my living room into a mini dance studio.

We practice a few acrobatic moves while my sisters watch, a bit amazed, from the sidelines. I admit that I was tired from practice, but it was refreshing dancing with Vanitas.

0.0

I pour the leftovers into a pot and wait for it to warm up. Curry is always best when it's eaten hot.

I hear some movement from the dining room. "Oh you're still here," I say to Vanitas.

His hands are in his pockets as he shrugs. "Yeah."

Vanitas isn't a very social person so it was a surprise that he lingered in our home longer than usual.

After dancing, Vanitas stuck around to bother my sisters. Specifically Yuffie. I remember that Vanitas used to take some martial arts classes when he was younger. Yuffie was taking some pointers from him and they spent some time sparring in the living room downstairs. Thankfully nothing was broken.

After pulling the roti out of the microwave I set them aside.

Kairi helps me in setting the table as I place the food on mats. Mom would kill me if I burned a hole in her dining table.

"So your mom isn't mad about you not being home for dinner?" Yuffie asks Vanitas.

"Oh I ate before I left," he says.

"And I thought Namine had a bottomless stomach," Kairi says.

I couldn't respond because my mouth was full of rice so I settled for settling my mouth into a pout.

After swallowing I say, "And that has saved you two plenty of times."

"Where'd you get that from?" Kairi asks.

"If I didn't love food so much I would never even bother learning how to cook. You two should've starved seven times over by now."

"I guess that's kind of true," Yuffie says.

"Or at least we would have a serious case of food poisoning," Kairi adds.

Everyone except Yuffie laughs.

"It was **one** time. The meatloaf was only a little pink," Yuffie tries to defend herself.

"Yeah tell that to my stomach. I was sick for two days," Kairi says.

"Why can't you just let it go?" Yuffie asks.

"We'll never let it go," I say.

And that prompted Kairi and I to give her our rendition of _Let It Go_.

~0~0~

TUESDAY

_BGM: Love Club – Lorde_

After stretching, we worked on balancing.

"Ok can you show me you front walkover?" Mulan asks.

Vanitas and I both do one. "Great form you two. Ok so now we need to work on balance and some trust exercises."

_Uh oh._ I could already see this going south. We were in the dance studio after school working on acro.

"Don't worry." Mulan has Vanitas kneel with his hands in front of him on the mat. It almost looks like he's prepping to do a downward facing dog. "Namine I want you to do a front walkover using Vanitas to balance."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard right," she says.

She chuckles when I look at her puzzled. "Here I'll try it first. Ready Vanitas?" she asks him.

"I guess so," he says. Mulan makes it look effortless as she does the front walkover and grabs the sides of Vanitas' torso for support before landing on the mat again.

"See?" She turns to me. "Your turn."

This would be harder. Doing walkovers were easiest without obstacles. I tried to mimic what Mulan did. I start off easy and half way I lose balance and ended up kneeing Vanitas in his back. We both fell to the mat with me on top of him.

"I'm sorry!" I cry as Van curses under his breath.

"Ok, maybe we should try something different," Mulan says after Vanitas recovers.

"You have sharp knees," he says to me. I elbow him as we move off the mat.

"I have sharp elbows too."

"Why don't we do some trust falls?" Mulan suggests. "Vanitas you first."

He looks at her like she's a bit crazy.

"You sure?"

"Hey I may knee and elbow you but I won't drop you," I laugh. "Now fall."

"Trust is key when doing acro," Mulan responds with a smile. "Take your time." She was way too patient for us.

I stand behind Vanitas and hold my arms out in front of me. And as he falls backwards I easily catch him. "You're not as heavy as you look," I tell him.

"Really now?"

"Yeah you actually weigh a ton." I help him up and he stands facing me.

"Namine why don't you try this but the opposite way. You're going to use your toes as a control. Take a nose dive straight for the ground. Relax your muscles. Vanitas I want you to wait until the absolutely last moment to catch her."

"What happens if he doesn't catch me?" I ask.

"Oh a bloody nose at worst case scenario," my partner says.

"Oh that's comforting. You better catch me," I say to Vanitas. I drop faster than I anticipate and just as soon as I thought my face would go splat! he caught me. I open my eyes to see the floor half an inch away from me.

I let out a long breath that I knew I was holding. Everything in my body was screaming at me.

We try another exercise where I was lying, back down. I grabbed Vanitas' hands and as I place my legs on his lower stomach he says, "I will kill you if your feet slip."

"And I'll come back to haunt you and empty your fridge." I lightly lift him up with my feet and put him back down. "That wasn't so hard. But I don't have much control in that."

We practice that move a few more times to get the hang of it. And each time I could feel the muscles in Vanitas' stomach and hands tighten. I chuckle to myself. Boys and their manhood.

We try another move where Van holds onto one of my hands and I slip slowly to the ground. He uses his leg to kind of keep me in place and from completely falling.

Then Mulan says, "Ok now Namine, you're going to do a cartwheel. But you're gonna hook your arms around Vanitas' legs. Vanitas you're going to stand but keep your knees bent a little. When Namine reaches for you, I want you to grab her torso right here," she places her hands on my lower stomach.

She makes me do a cartwheel first. "Ok now hold that Namine." I held my position with my feet in the air. "Vanitas gently but firmly hold her. There you go. So when you do this, Namine you need to hold onto Vanitas to finish off your cartwheel."

We try it and mid movement Mulan stops us. "Hold that position. I want you to secure you arms around Vanitas' knees. Good stance Vanitas, keep that." I place my arms around Vanitas' thighs. "Good Namine. Now finish it off." Good God all my blood was rushing to my head.

We do the move a few more times to get the hang of it. I felt light headed afterwards.

"That's actually fun," I say, a little out of breath.

"You two exercise a great amount of control for beginners. And your trust in each other really plays a huge part in that." Mulan checks her watch. "Oh wow. It's already five. I need to get going."

We put the mats back and walk out of the studio. Mulan bids the receptionist a good evening and we make our way outside.

"You did really well today," Mulan smiles. "I'll see you two tomorrow." She was off to her car.

"Bus?" Vanitas asks.

"Yep."

Apparently Van had let Sora and Roxas borrow his car. Why he would trust Sora of all people with a large vehicle was beyond me. I didn't mind taking public transportation.

"I forgot, Mom is working a late shift. Won't be back until tomorrow morning," I say out loud.

"Wanna stop for pizza?"

"Yes please," I say as I sit down in an empty bus seat.

"I'm gonna be sore tomorrow," Vanitas stretches his back against the seat.

"I know. This has forced me to actually practice."

"And you don't on a normal basis? No wonder your form sucks."

I scoff. "Your face sucks."

We get off the bus when it stops by our street.

"When was the last time you worked here?" Van refers to the pizzeria.

"Sometime during the summer, why?"

"Think we can get a discount?"

"Probably."

Vanitas and I sit down to eat a whole pie. He didn't seem grossed out by my eating habits and didn't complain about me eating most of the pie.

Sated and tired we walked up the hill to our homes.

"Ugh I hate walking up this stupid hill."

"Especially after eating _five_ pieces of pizza, Namine," Vanitas says.

"Hey you said I could have that slice," I defend myself.

"And you got that pie you're holding for free."

"Perks of having worked there," I say. "And the guy working still has a crush on me."

"Oh yes, you and your ever charming ways."

I laugh.

"Hey hook me up with half the pie."

"I don't think so. This is for my doting sisters who're probably famished from having beaten their teammates to dust." They should be done with martial arts practice.

"You're gonna eat that whole thing on your own."

He was probably right about that.

"I'll save them a slice or two."

We reach level ground and stand on the pavement in front of our houses.

"Namine, you're a mess."

"And don't you forget it," I wink.

~0~0~0~

WEDNESDAY

_BGM: Be My Baby – Ariana Grande_

I think that house party ignited the small burning ember between Cloud and I. We were finding ways to meet each other in the hallways. And I was glad I had an unlimited text since we were messaging each other like mad.

We were spending a lot of time together, whether because of the fund raiser or our mutual interest in connecting our orifices. I think it was the latter.

"Namine could you please run this to the office? I really need to get this filled with the secretary."

"Sure Master Acosta."

I took the manila envelope from his hands and walked out of the classroom. I was glad for a break from the class. It was beginning to lull into a quiet buzz of gossip and body parts.

Should I take a peek into the envelope? It was the large manila kind and it's not like anyone would notice. There was a string wrapped around a round part of the envelope. Eh that'll take too long to put back together.

I return my attention to the great expanse in front of me. I stretch my hands over my head as I leisurely make my way down the hallway.

I pass by a few stragglers. They probably have the same idea as me. Too antsy to stay in class. I can't understand how teachers expect kids to sit still in a chair for eight hours and not complain.

"Hey Ven," I nod to him. He was probably skipping class with friends. I couldn't blame him. If I didn't need to keep my grades up to play volleyball then I would probably be a regular ditcher.

"Namine you aren't skipping class are you?" a deeper voice says from behind me.

"Of course not," I reply, turning my head.

"I'm just running this to the office for my teacher like the star pupil I am."

Cloud chuckles. "You make it sound like so much fun."

"I could think of a million things that's more fun than this," I look up at him.

Without another word I pull him by the hand into the nearest closet.

Let me tell you it was dark. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. The only sounds I could make out were our breathing.

"I'd like to assume that you had fun at Selphie's party," Cloud says.

"The most fun I've had in a while," I respond. It was a lie, but I'd never say otherwise. I try to feel around for the light but can't find it. We'll have to settle for the dark.

"I'd like a replay of the night's end though." I felt his hand work its way from my hand up to my neck.

I didn't remember much of the night to be honest. I could feel Cloud lift my chin.

"I have no problem with that." Once those words leave my mouth soft lips are pressed against mine. Somehow they weren't quite the right fit with each other. Like we were fighting to fit each other like two puzzle pieces that didn't quite match.

After a while we found a serene pace. It felt like an eternity with my hands tangled in his hair and his hands bringing my hips closer to him. The kisses were slow and hot; a painful touch like walking on hot coals, and feeling a cold recess when we quickly broke for air.

Too bad I'd have to end our escapade.

I pull back and we were both breathless. I smirk in the dark.

I put a hand on his chest. "I need to get this to the front office," I was referring to the long forgotten envelope.

"Yeah of course." He chuckles.

"But before I go…" I place a kiss on the side of his mouth. Not exactly what I was aiming for. But it'll work.

I leave the closet without a word. On my way to the receptionist's desk I straighten my dress and reapply my lip gloss.

There was something a little special about him. Something I couldn't quite place my finger on it. Was it the way he grabbed my waist before pulling me to him or the way he smiled when he saw me? I think it was the way he held the back of my head before kissing me.

Or maybe I just love the way his car seats feel against my bare skin.

* * *

**Well here it is. It's very late. But it's here.**

_Sook_


	18. A Step Forward

New chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 15 Part 2: A Step Forward**

~0~0~

THURSDAY

_BGM: The Kids Aren't Alright – Fall Out Boy_

"Alright let's make this quick since Namine has prior engagements," Quistis starts the newspaper meeting.

"Damn straight I do," I reply. She did fail to mention that she had martial arts after class as well. How nice of her to leave herself out.

"So Selphie anything new?"

"Yeah I found a cute celeb to model some the 'What to Wear' section." Selphie pops her gum before continuing. "And I have a spotlight on one of the basketball athletes." She pops her gum again. I chuckle to myself. Selphie knows how much of a pet peeve that is to Quistis.

"Ok good. Who's next?"

Everyone seemed to be on the right page, according to Quistis' plans.

After the quickie meeting I pull Quistis aside.

"So I've spoken to Ms. Powhatan and she's all in. You'll just have to figure out the nitty gritty details with her."

"Ok, if you could give these papers to Ms. Fa that would be great."

Quistis hands me a stack of papers.

"What's all this?" I ask.

"Some well thought out ideas and such for her to look over."

"Great," I say.

As long I as I wasn't in charge I was content. I sigh and make my way to Mulan's office. As I leaf through the stack of papers I read something about including the martial arts team. Way to push you interests Quistis.

As I go to turn the knob of the door I find it locked. Oh well.

Oh lookie here. There was a slot at the bottom of her door. How convenient. Before pushing it through, I wrote a little something at the top of the stack. Good luck to Ms. Fa when she gets these papers.

0.0

_Ttururup ttururup rappirappa neoui love story__  
__Ttururup ttururup rappirappa naega anirae_

"Maybe you can start with just sitting on the ground. Then the four of you closest to the front can do a Valdez and take that going the opposite way from each other. Then you five in the back can do a front walkover headed to my right," I instruct.

_Deoneun oemyeonhal su eosbsi keojyeoganeun_

_Story story story_

"When this part starts I want you to be moving from the end and we'll work our way in. So you two in the front move first," I use my index fingers to point to the girls closest to me. "Then the girls in the row behind you, then those behind you. Got it?" I ask.

Some girls nodded while the others looked on with slight confusion. This was proving to be a bit more difficult than I was hoping.

"How about we do this," Rinoa picks up where I left off. She has them practice a few dance moves before showing them what I had instructed. I went to sit down on the bench. Rinoa had a lot to do. She not only had to create the dances for the cheer team performances but she was working on dances to perform on stage for the fund raiser.

_We should think of a better name than that. The fund raiser sounds boring. What about FUN raiser. Mmm I don't think so._

Maybe I should just leave that bit to Quistis.

Mulan was supposed to be helping Rinoa but she was busy. Out of the goodness of my heart, and Kairi's persistence, I took over for her.

"Ok girls, this song is about heartbreak. It's called Scandal. Their relationship was good but things went sour when the guy betrayed her. I want you to convey those emotions of betrayal and hurt. There will be a lot of soft, vulnerable moves but stay strong in your movements for the most part," I say from my seat.

I pick up my water bottle. _Aww it's empty. _

I leave the dancers in Rinoa's charge and exit the gym to get some water.

I practically had to hunt for a fountain. You would think they would put it out in the open. But no, let the thirsting children run around in search of a drink.

"Working hard or hardly working?" Cloud walks into my field of vision.

"Hah, I'm just taking a break." I continue to fill up the water bottle. "And are you skipping class?" I nod to him.

"Nope. Taking a break…of sorts."

"Sure." I cap my bottle and turn my full attention to him.

"So are you free after this?" he gestures to the gym. "Whatever it is you're doing? We could over some plans that Mr. Skellington has." _Or make out in your car _ I could hear it in his undertone.

"Sorry I might have dance practice. Maybe after?" Mulan had something come up last minute, but I didn't know how long it would last.

"What time does it end?"

"Around five at the latest."

"Hey Namine we need you~" Rikku bounces over to us.

"Kay, I'll be there in a minute," I told her.

"I'll text you then," Cloud says before walking back to whatever he left.

"Alright later."

I walk back into the gym. Back to work.

_Deoneun oemyeonhal su eobsi keojyeoganeun__  
__Story story story__  
__so mellow, mellow_

"So while you do a cartwheel down the middle, everyone on the sides can part and hold their arms like this while looking away from you like they're ashamed." I lead them through the end of the dance.

It looked a little better than when I left the gym.

Maybe this would work out.

~0~0~

FRIDAY

_BGM: Crazy – Kat Dahlia_

"Date tonight?"

"Yes," I reply.

I continue applying a thin line of liquid eyeliner and finish off with my mascara wand.

"Do you have plans?" I ask Yuffie.

"Yeah. Tidus is having a party." This probably meant that Yuffie and Kairi were staying the night there.

"Ok have fun. And don't do anything I wouldn't."

I return to getting dolled up. I pick up my curling iron to lightly curl the ends of my hair. It gave my golden locks an adorable little bounce.

I was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a sleeveless red shirt that tied in the front. I guess I was going for the Daisy Duke look. I'm cold natured so I pick out a light sweater to take with me. Cloud planned on taking us to watch a movie. I didn't want to be one of those girls shivering from the blast of cool air, waiting for a chivalrous guy to hand her his jacket.

The clock read 5:24. Cloud wasn't picking me up for another twenty minutes so I sit around for awhile in my living room.

This week passed by in a blur. Between dance, helping Rinoa, and Cloud my days were beginning to fill up. I was looking forward to the night.

Surprisingly Cloud comes to the front door to get me. Usually I meet my dates outside. They either honk their car horns or send me a text to let me know they're here. Not the most gentlemanlike actions, I know.

Once I lock the front door behind me, I turn around to give him a quick kiss.

"You crushed it at the game," Cloud compliments me.

"Thanks," I say sincerely. We were working harder during practices and better as a team.

We dominated the other team 57 to 20.

"There was a moment where I thought we'd lose the entire game," I say. The other team was in the lead with 15 points and we were behind them by 4. We soon caught up to them though. It was an intense power struggle the whole way.

I was exhausted from the game but I was anxious throughout each hit and serve. My enthusiasm continued into my getting ready for tonight. In the pit of my stomach there was a flurry of butterflies and it simply wouldn't go away. It was probably that energy drink I had right before the game.

We were going to the only movie theater around which was located in the Cross County Mall. After parking Cloud's Camaro we walked into the theater. It was Friday night and it was buzzing like a beehive. Kids from school, older teens, and a few middle schoolers filled the medium sized area. It was alive with laughter, food, and picture taking. We waited almost twenty minutes in line before paying for our tickets. Pretty normal for the weekend.

We still had about an hour before the movie started so I suggest that we walk around the mall. It was the last rays of summer flitting onto my skin and the store windows. It was stretching out, trying to expend its last energies. I enjoyed the warmth emanating from the sun.

"Ok you have to let me pay for something," I say. He paid for the movie tickets.

Cloud shakes his head. "Now what kind of date would I be if I did that?"

I always believed in going Dutch on first dates. Well technically this would be our third date. But the other two didn't really count seeing as how they were house parties.

We end up taking a trip to the dollar store. I was having a bit of a sweet tooth today. I head straight for the candy isle: Mike and Ike, Lemonheads, Jolly Ranchers, Pop Rocks, Skittles.

After picking out all my favorites, we head to the register.

"And where exactly do you plan on putting all that?" Cloud asks.

The cashier starts scanning my items.

"Why do you think I brought a huge purse?"

It never made much sense to me to spend so much money on the concessions at the theater. A ticket alone costs about eight or nine dollars. Plus the popcorn, nachos, and drinks. It could be very costly.

"And it was only eleven dollars."

Once we reach a garbage can I throw out all of the plastic wrappings. I carefully place the candy into my bag. I was going to start on the Milk Duds first then make my way to Laffy Taffy.

"You do this normally?" Cloud asks me.

"On the regular."

"You know you really shouldn't be bringing in outside food."

"Yeah I've heard that a lot," I dismiss it.

"I used to work at a movie theater. I know what it was like to search through peoples bags or to see someone's with a purse filled with food. It really loses money for the business."

I held back an eye roll.

"Oh don't be such a nark. Look if you feel so bad then you can just buy us some popcorn and drinks."

And that's what he ended up doing. One Coke for himself, one Sprite for me, and a very large bag of popcorn for us to share. Though I did most of the eating.

Overall I thought it was a good movie. Many kudos to Cloud for picking _Divergent_. I think that Shailene Woodley is a great actress no matter what role she plays. She just really brings the book character to life and showcases her own style to each part. That and she has an adorable/hot factor. I found myself drooling a bit during the changing scenes.

Cloud and I even had that cliché moment where we reached for popcorn at the same. Only I didn't pull away. That buttery goodness was calling my name loud. I never really understood what made people pull away from physical touch in moments like this. (Especially if it involved food.)

Reluctantly, I did share my candy with Cloud. I practically swallowed a box of Raisinettes so he was lucky to get any of my Twizzlers.

I had to hold myself back from pointing out the differences in the movie. That was _not_ how Tris' parents died in the book. And they completely messed up the ending! Tris taking that chip was the whole reason Jeanine sent her drones to the Amity compound in the sequel. I felt like I was drawing blood from biting my lip. Usually if I were with one of my friends they would be getting an earful about how badly the directors wrote the screenplay. I would spare Cloud this time from my complaints.

0.0

"That was an awesome movie," Cloud says.

"If it was a horrible choice then I'd have to end our courtship."

"Wow I didn't realize that stood out the most in a relationship."

"Yeah, good taste in pop culture is very important to me."

We took to walking around the mall. After the remodel that was done, it made it easier for walking around. The pavement was actually even. And a slew of new stores were added.

I was glad I brought a sweater with me. The sun died down, and with the moon and stars came a brisk chill of the night.

Cloud treated me to my favorite ice cream: Häagen-Dazs. Maybe not the best thing if you're shivering from the wind. But I couldn't resist free food.

"Yup. So that being said, what's your favorite movie?" I ask turning my entire body towards him.

He purses his lips for a moment before answering. "I'd have to say _From Dusk till Dawn_."

Wow that was a shocker. I imagined him to be into adventure movies like _Fast and Furious_ not horror movies.

"I never really took you for a Tarantino fan. How did you feel about _Kill Bill_?" Personally I loved it. The blood, the amazing weapons, the sick story line and subplots and conflicts within the main objective. That and Uma Thurman kicked ass.

"I didn't really care for it." _Oh no he didn't._

I gasp with my mouth full of cookies and cream.

"How can you even say that?" I say through the Oreo chunks.

"There were a lot of characters and they all had their own back story."

"I guess so," I say. I liked the way each character played their part in The Bride's story though. It was like a quilt slowly being weaved together with the threads of each person's life.

"I just feel like it was over the top dramatic and the storyline was all over the place."

"But that's the charm of it. It's suppose to be like that. It kind of added that humor effect to it."

"Well if it makes any difference I loved _Desperado_."

"Ok, you've redeemed yourself." That was a bomb screenplay. And everyone loves Antonio Banderas no matter his age.

"How would you compare that movie to the book?" I ask about the film we just watched. I knew I was going out on a limb.

"No. I didn't even know that it was a book."

"Yeah there's three parts to it," I say whilst trying to mask my enthusiasm.

"So I take it you've read them."

"Yeah." I had all of them on a bookcase at home. "The movie wasn't supposed to end the way it did on screen."

I was bursting at my seams in the theater so I had to force myself to ease my words out.

"Either way it was a good movie," he says.

I shrug in silent deference. So much for persuading him otherwise.

0.0

_BGM: Navigate Me – Cute is What We Aim For_

The car ride back to my house was spent discussing Tarantino's best movie to date.

"I just wish he would do another _Kill Bill_ movie," I say.

"There's been rumors about a third one but it seems like its better where the second movie left off."

"I'm greatly offended by that. And I'm sure Uma Thurman is as well."

"You seem to like the movies with kick ass female leads," Cloud replies.

"Well I am one. I just like something I can relate to," I reply honestly.

"Oh I didn't know you stared in any movies."

"Of course. My life."

"And if you're the main character who's your love interest?" he asks.

"Who says I have a love interest?" I steal a peak at him. "I'd have to say that the role is not filled yet."

"Do you see that changing any time soon?"

I put a finger to my chin in faux thought. "Hmm. Well if the next few scenes play out as written then I suppose so."

We were double parked in front of my house. It wouldn't be a good idea to risk parking next to the fire hydrant. In my neighborhood there could be an emergency at a moment's notice.

He places the car into park and looks over to me.

"And how exactly does this scene play out?" he asks.

"Come a little closer and I'll show you."

Things quickly got pretty hot and steamy. Our kisses turn from soft to needy and a bit ravenous. The gear was wedging itself in my abdomen and causing me great discomfort. I pull back to readjust myself.

In a swift motion Cloud pulls me over the console and places me in his lap. Well that solved the problem. I continued our motions with me straddling Cloud's lap. Our pace was unhurried and I was slowly grinding up against him. I got the desired effect as I could feel his arousal through our jeans.

His mouth moved sluggishly against mine like a heavy wave hitting a crag. I could feel him bite my bottom lip a bit.

Oh my God that was hot.

It was a painful pleasure that was racing through me. My hands we in his hair and his hands were on my lower back bringing me closer.

A loud _BEEP BEEP BEEP_ startles us from our actions.

"Get a room," a guy yells out of his car on his way past us. I smile into Cloud's mouth and laugh a little.

"He's just jealous."

"Yeah. Well if that didn't wake all the members of my house I don't know what will."

Being ever the gentleman he was, he walked me to my door.

"Tonight was amazing."

I try to leave him with a kiss but our lips never part. At this rate we'd be making out against the door. And I would, without a doubt, let him.

I had to physically pull myself away from my date.

"Goodnight Namine."

"'Night."

I take a deep breath once I close and lock the front door.

What an energy rush.

* * *

**Songs used: Scandal – Ailee **

HaHA! I did it. I made an update when I had planned to. This is an amazing feat for me. *Waits for applause* Thank you, you are far too kind.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Remember rate, comment, and all other that good stuff.

_Sook_


	19. Risky Business

To make up for the long awaited chapter, this is twice as long as the reg.

It's been a year since I started writing this story and I've posted 18 chapters. I can't decide whether that's a good or bad thing. You tell me.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Recap:

_**Somehow I'm roped into choreographing the cheer team's next dance.**_

_Mulan was supposed to be helping Rinoa but she was busy. Out of the goodness of my heart, and Kairi's persistence, I took over for her._

_**Cloud and I have an amazing date**_

_**It's filled with fun**_

"_That was an awesome movie."_

_Cloud treated me to __Häagen-Dazs._

_**Passion**_

_Things quickly got pretty hot and steamy. Our kisses turn from soft to needy and a bit ravenous._

_**And a whole lot of enlightening moments**_

_He kind of dissed one of my favorite movies._

"_I just feel like it was over the top dramatic and the storyline was all over the place."_

_That was not ok._

_**But…**_

_In the pit of my stomach there was a flurry of butterflies and it simply wouldn't go away._

* * *

**Chapter 16: Risky Business **

_BGM: Thinkin Bout You (Ryan Hemsworth Bootleg) – Frank Ocean_

It was a nice Sunday morning. The bright sun illuminated the clear blue the sky as I shaded my eyes from the blinding view. It was seven twenty-three AM to be exact. And there was a brisk chill to the air as I walked to the bus stop from my house. Thankfully the bus driver didn't put on the air.

I was opening the spa today with some other co workers.

What a glorious way to start my day. Pampering the wealthy by adjusting their bath water and mud masks. [Though it could be worse.]

When I get close to the neighborhood I get off the bus through the back. It was about two blocks from my work place. I enjoy the fresh air and warm sun as I walk on.

I make it through the glass doors of the spa.

"Good morning Lani," I greet one of my co workers.

"Morning Nam," she responds.

When I open the spa the tasks range from stocking towels and other equipment in the correct rooms to making sure the water heater is working. The manager on duty allocates each job and area to the employees.

So after going through the simple motions of preparing the facility, I make myself some tea in the break room. I pour it into a small thermos before going out to my place at the front desk.

Lani and I go through the motions of greeting each person and setting them up in their respective room. The minutes seem to pass by painstakingly slow. About two hours have passed and we've had only six customers walk in.

"It's so slow," I rest my head on the counter.

"This is actually my favorite day to work," Lani responds.

"Why?"

"Less snobby clients." We laugh. I could testify to that.

Generally the extremely rich visit during the week. Countless amounts of mani-pedis, blowouts (their hair), detox baths, extreme bleaching (in areas I'd rather not say), waxing, and other things were the few things they asked for. Those who came on the weekends were coming in simple things like massages.

The place was about as dead as a doornail on the weekend.

"I wonder if they're gonna close up early," I say out loud.

What was nice about the establishment was the fact that it was locally owned. It wasn't part of those huge conglomerate chains that had a set time for business. We could open and close as we pleased, within reason.

"It would be really nice," Lani replies.

I wonder what Mom was gonna cook for dinner. She had the day off and was home with my sisters. It almost made my wish I wasn't at work. But $15 an hour was a great incentive.

"I'm working until close."

"Again?" I ask her.

"Well someone has to pay the bills," she says.

Lani was the sole provider in her household. I knew it had to be hard for the college student. Since her parents died a few years back, she had been taking care of her younger sister as well.

I try to break the thick ice that had formed over our light conversation. "Lilo is doing great by the way. In school."

The corner of her mouth lifts up as if she's going to smile.

"Kairi, Ariel, and her have formed a nice little group. Although sometimes I worry they're gonna drown each other during swim practice."

"It's good to hear that she's not isolating herself. She was having a really hard time. And I don't know how much more of therapy I can afford. Jub Jub's SS check covers only but so much." She was referring to their great uncle that lived with them.

"Don't worry about her. Kairi is a good girl and form what I've seen Ariel is pretty level headed and fun. They'll be just what Lilo needs."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For lookin out. I don't know where you find time to, but thank you." Lani flashes a genuine smile.

"Oh you know me, always the thoughtful one."

"Namine," the manager on duty gets my attention. "Can you check the sauna rooms and make sure there are enough towels? Also the salon needs a look in as well."

"Sure," I reply. Leaving Lani to man the front desk I make my way to one of the supply closets. There probably wasn't much that needed to be done, but I pulled out a rolling cart and filled it with some towels. Toting the cart around wasn't necessary but it was fun racing around with it.

The first few rooms were empty; I only placed five towels so far. I took my cart with me, both feet on a lower bar, rolling at a fast speed down the deserted halls.

The next room I came to was in the nail specialty area. I hand Inga a stack of towels and she thanks me.

"Wait a moment Namine, I have something that needs to be filed."

"Ok." I wait by her station and take in my surroundings. I never really cared for this part of the spa because of the acrylic and acetone smells. The company was great though.

There were a few clients lounging in chairs a station away from me. It looks like they were waiting for their polish to dry.

"Well she displayed this beautiful piece in her home. You know me, I had to have it," a lady with strange hair says. There is an intricate up do set on the top of her head while a small ponytail makes its way onto her shoulder.

"You have to have everyone's art, Clio," a blonde replies to her.

Being the nosey person I am, I continue to listen in.

"Only the best," Clio responds.

"So are things going well, or did Simon finally buy you out?"

"That dirtbag? No way. I finally have my dream studio with pieces that actually matter to me."

"You're strong willed. I'll give you that," her friend says.

My eavesdropping is interrupted by Inga. "Here you go sweetie." She hands me a small stack of papers.

"I'll make sure these get put in the right place."

"Thanks Namine."

I make my way out of the salon area and continue my journey for towel placements.

I'm not sure how much time has passed by Lani and I fill it with word games.

"Banana," I say.

"Blueberry."

"Biscotti."

"Brussel sprouts."

"Blackberry."

"Beef wellington," Lani says.

"You lose," I say.

"What, no. That starts with a 'b'."

"Yeah but it's one syllable over," I stick a tongue out at her. "Well that's six to none. Care to try your luck again?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"I think you make up rules on the spot just to win."

With a southern belle accent I say, "What, lil' ole me would never do such a thing." I bat my eyelashes at her.

The lady from the nail specialty room walks up to us to pay her bill. She's dressed in white palazzo pants and coral wrap shirt. While Lani runs her card as payment I take the chance to speak up.

"I mean to be nosey when I say this, but you were talking about an art gallery earlier," I start.

She chuckles. "Yes, I own an art gallery in White Plains."

"Well I would be interested in checking it out."

A smile graces her face. "I always love when younger ones take an interest in the arts. It's very refreshing." She hands me her business card. _Goddess Alive_ is written in curly blue letters. Her business number and the gallery's address are also on the card.

"I didn't catch your name sweetheart," Clio pulls me from my thoughts.

"It's Namine Odayaka," I introduce myself.

"My name is Clio," she says with a smile and shakes my hand. "Pleased to meet you, Namine. Feel free to stop by."

"I definitely will."

* * *

_BGM: Ain't it Fun – Paramore_

"We're not dating," I state. I reapply a little bit of gloss. The nice violet shade matched well with the white lace dress I was wearing. "We're just seeing more of each other." And we had more physical contact than just friends. I fluff my hair lightly.

"Do you know how full of shit you sound right now?" Larxene tells me. If anyone could pull off a pixie cut, it was definitely her. And her tall slim build added to her _oh so lovely_ charm. The profanity that spewed from her lips didn't match her soft features. But her icy eyes certainly matched her words.

"I'm simply stating the truth."

She rolls her eyes in the mirror's reflection next to mine. I was taking a break of sorts from class and had wandered into the bathroom.

"You keep talking that crap. You're all over each other," she gestures to me.

"We don't show all that much PDA," I defend.

"No but it was like you were undressing each other with your eyes." She fixes her black lace cami over her shorts. "It was kind of a turn on but disgusting at the same time."

I roll my eyes. "I could say the same about you and Axel." She gives me a look. "Both of your attitudes completely disGUST _me_."

"What are you yammering on about?" She turns her full attention on me with a hand perched on her hip.

"One minute you're hot and heavy and all over each other like poison ivy on a trellis and then you're as cold as ice. Make up your mind. You either like him or you don't. And I'm-"

"You don't even know-"

"I know enough to be finished with your fucked up relationship. I don't want any part of it." Well this conversation was taking a different turn.

"No one's asking you to intervene!" she yells.

"Axel is! Every time we're at a party or you blow off your plans-"

"Well he's a shit head anyways, no one listens to him!"

"So what am I suppose to do in the mean time?"

"Mind your own business when it comes to other peoples love lives!"

"Fine I won't meddle!" I yell back.

"Good!"

"Great!"

I take a deep breath to replace the loss of oxygen in my lungs. The anger that had pent up in us had finally been released in a flurry of words and rage. And it solved our beef with each other. That's just how we worked.

"Glad we had this talk," I say.

"Me too."

I walk closer to her until she's in my embrace. A quick hug won't turn her into a puddle of emotions but I could feel her relax under my hold. Larxene was tough on the outside but nothing but mush on the inside. The reassurance that I was there for her didn't need to be verbalized.

"See you around, Nams," she says before lighting up near the window.

I make my way out of the bathrooms and to my human anatomy class. After learning more about the lymphatic system I rush out of class and to my locker.

"Are the plans a go for tonight?" Selphie pops up beside me.

I was changing out my books for my dance bag.

"Yup." We were planning on going to a club later that night. I told my mom I was spending the night at Selphie's to do something for school.

"Don't forget I have volleyball practice today."

"Don't worry chickie, I won't leave ya hangin."

It was actually for business purposes, so Selphie kept telling me. She had this idea in her head that we were barking up the wrong tree when it came to the whole fund raiser. We needed to talk to people with money. And that wasn't in our realm of peers.

"Do you have appropro attire my dear?" Selphie asks.

"Yes Selph." I made sure to pack some _essentials_ into an overnight bag before leaving home. Selphie came up with this bright idea. Why she chose to do it in the hours of the night were beyond me.

* * *

_BGM: Like Em Young – Tove Lo_

"Selphie I swear if I ever have to do this again I will kill you." I hold my heels in hand while I stealthily climb down the ladder.

We had to sneak out to the club through her bedroom window. I watch as she slowly closes the window, leaving a little room for it to be pulled back up.

"I do this all the time to come party with you guys and **I** never complain."

"No one asked you to slip through a window like a thief in the night," I mumble.

When we reach the soft lawn we continue walking barefoot towards a small park nearby. There's a crimson car waiting by the entrance. I assume that's our ride for the night.

The tint is dark and is barely illuminated by the street light.

"Axel, what up?" I rap on the driver's window and it rolls down.

"Angel face, what's shakin'?" he replies.

"Not much."

"How'd you know it'd be him?" Selphie asks while adjusting her shoes.

"I'd know this muscle car anywhere." I climb into the passenger's seat.

We quickly make our way out of the suburb and into the business savvy district.

"So we're there for business," I say.

"Mostly," Axel says.

"You got the fake IDs?" Axel hands me and Selphie each a driver's license.

"My name is still Italian, that's good," Selphie says.

"That's great for you. Lucy Lufreebusch?" I punch Axel's arm. "Is this some kind of joke?"

He shrugs. "Well I know how environmentally friendly you are so I made you an organ donor."

"Oh well that _definitely _ makes up for my jank name. Couldn't it be something sexy like Sara or Portia? Or even give me an interesting last name with a back-story."

"That's what the guy had available, ok."

"Back to the objective at hand. So it should be around ten when we get there, I have connections with the bouncer so it'll be no problem getting in quick. We split up and make friends," Selphie explains.

"And then we party like its 1999."

"Yes Axel. But business first."

"Don't be a killjoy."

Once we reach the warehouse like enclave, Axel parks his car and we walk to the entrance.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I'd never really had to use a fake ID before so I was a bit nervous.

We flash our cards and the heavy set guy lets us in. Well that was a no brainer. The only obstacle now was the mission at hand. Since we were in high school, our circle of peers was very limited. And although we had things going with the fundraiser, we still needed to keep the momentum going. It was a nice start but there was so much more that we could be doing.

We needed to rope in some hefty cash. The legal way.

Axel had a well thought out plan to rob the HSBC on Nepperhan Avenue but I really didn't like the way black and white stripes looked on me. It was strange against my tanning skin and golden blonde hair.

We split up and mingle among the adults. With our getup we were nearly indistinguishable from the adults who'd had a long day at the office. Or who wanted a night time companion.

It was dimly lit arena of sorts, with lounging areas, a bar, and a dance floor. Soft jazz music flowed through the expanse.

I did my part of playing a struggling college undergrad, working a nine to five internship that didn't pay nearly enough, just looking to broaden my horizons while making adequate spending cash.

I kept my drinking to a minimum, but just enough so no one would question my age. I needed to have all of my mental faculties.

"Hey there."

"Hi," I barely look up from what I was doing.

"The name's Desta," the smooth as silk voice says.

"Lucy." I continue tapping away at my PDA. I knew that if I didn't get these contacts down I'd definitely forget about it.

"So I've got two tickets to Maui. How about it?"

"Why don't you use that extra ticket for your ego. It'll take up more than one seat." In any normal circumstance I would welcome the flirting. But tonight I was officially here on business. And it irritated me to no end when guys couldn't take a hint.

I turn to look at the victim end of my conversation. I'm glad my hand was resting underneath my jaw because it would've hit the floor.

His eyes were a fiery green. Not quite like my friends' though. Axel's orbs showed a playful mischievous glow. But this guy's were surging like a perilous journey at sea. His raven hair had an unnatural shine and was, for a lack of better words, beautiful. He was fair skinned beauty. He had a slender but muscular face. It looked like the perfect sculpture come to life. The most striking feature was the near invisible scar running across his left eye and onto his cheek.

He had a dangerous air about him. Not the type that you would feel from guys who wore leather jackets and rode around on motorcycles. But of someone who did shady business or who has killed before.

This man was a masterpiece.

His smile was a white as the moon and curved into a smirk. It briefly reminded me of the Cheshire cat.

Well hello there mister. I think my ovaries just exploded.

"Can I help you?" I say with a bored expression but keeping a soft tone. On the inside my lady parts were doing a samba. But I was strictly _here on business_. I am here for the funds for school and art.

"Yeah actually you can. I've seen to have lost my address. Could I have yours?"

Hmm that was a smooth transition but I'd give that pick up line about a 5. I wasn't all that impressed.

"Looks like you have a bit of dirt on your chin. You might want to take care of your hygiene on your quest of looking for your home." I pause for a moment. "Oh that's just your out of date facial hair. I'm sorry," I say all of this with a straight face. The soul patch on his chin actually added a distinguished look to him.

I take a sip of my gin tonic to find that it's finished. Just my luck. I was limiting myself to one alcoholic drink tonight because I was hoping to save some cash. Clubbing wasn't cheap.

"You usually blow off men like this?" _Desta_ asks.

"Do you usually try to pick up women with your 'smooth talk'? And answer this, does it work?" I play with the straw of my drink. At this point I've turned my full attention to him.

"You definitely are a tough cookie. I didn't think you'd be this hard to speak to when I first saw you."

"Well I'm certainly _not_ sorry to disappoint."

He motions to the bartender. "How about we start over and I buy you a drink?" he says.

Well he was certainly talking my language now. Free drinks? Yes please! I purse my lips in thought.

"Can you make a Mad Hatter Potion?" is what comes from my mouth.

"Yes." And he gets to work.

"So I know you don't come here often," the man says. We were sitting on bar stools but I could tell this guy was tall.

"From that observation I can tell that you frequent this place a lot. What, too much spare time on your hands?" I think if I keep up my rude façade I can easily escape with my drink.

The bartender finishes my drink and places it in front of me. Desta turns to him and tells him to put it on his tab. I wonder if he's an alcoholic or if he spends his down time here.

I slowly make my way off my stool. "Well it's been," I give him a noticeable once over, "interesting talking to you. But I need to get back to a prior engagement."

He follows suit, getting off his barstool.

Oh for the love of art.

He says, "Yes a colleague was saying something about your job search in art galleries."

I take a sip of my drink. Damn that's good. They put just the right amount of Hypnotic.

"Yes, I'm shopping around for a job in the field. It would be nice if I could find something to replace my work study in the library."

"That can definitely get boring," he replies.

It looks like I wasn't gonna shake this guy.

"I know a few people who are into art," he places an arm around my shoulder to guide me somewhere.

I hope he wasn't going to lead me off and kill me.

He introduces me to at least a dozen people, varying in age and business affiliation. It was a great mix of company; each moment filled with laughter, networking, and promises to meet up some time for drinks or to talk business.

In this time I've already had two more drinks. My attitude has definitely relaxed though I wasn't even close to being drunk. Desta was all right.

After knocking back my third drink I entertain him by schooling him on the dance floor. Maybe I was a _little _ bit tipsy.

I had no idea what time it was or where my friends had run off to, but I was having a good time. Maybe this guy wasn't as bad as I initially made him out to be.

We got really close during the last few songs and I didn't mind the contact at all.

Desta pulls me a bit closer and asks me, smoothly I may add, if I want to check out his place. Because he just bought these curtains and wanted to know if they matched with the living expanse. Ok maybe I'm making up the last part.

I think it over for a second before nodding.

"Let me find my friends first."

Searching through the mass of people on the dance floor, I finally spot Selphie.

"Hey, I might be back at your place later," I call out to her.

"Ok hun. See ya!" She returns to dancing with some guy. I don't even think she paid attention to me.

I shrug and follow Desta's lead.

* * *

_BGM: My Garden – Kat Dahlia_

My phone and bag were long forgotten as he roughly pins me against the wall. So this was what it felt like to be with a man. Not that much different from high school boys. The guys I'd been with knew how to please a girl in the most delicate way. They were sweet, sincere, and most of all fun.

My jacket is thrown to the floor.

Desta was hungry, quickly aroused, and ferocious. I kind of wasn't feeling it. Even though my sexual tension was twisted into a knot, I didn't exactly like being pushed against a wall like a car compressor.

There went my shoes.

It took all of my energy to match his jarring movements. But in a matter of minutes I had him shirtless and on his couch.

As I kiss him roughly making my way along his neck, my mind starts running subconsciously.

_What about Cloud? Well he's not my boyfriend. We only went on one date._

My white silk shirt had long ago made its way onto his living room floor and he was working on unzipping my pants.

_Is this really gonna happen? _

I steal a look at his piercing eyes.

_Damn he is fine. Yes! This is going to happen._

My phone starts ringing and I immediately recognize the ringtone. I couldn't let this one go to voicemail.

Cursing on the inside, I part from my main course. "Sorry I have to take this call," I apologize breathlessly.

He sighs. "I understand."

I race for my cell and hit accept call. I take this moment to walk away from Desta and go to someplace more private.

I take a look at my surroundings. Taking in the sight of some paintings I continued to talk. "Yes Dad….this Friday? Kairi has a swim meet actually…So how about next weekend…yes she'll want to be there too…maybe after…ok I'll tell them to be ready." I laugh at a joke he's made about Kairi taking forever in the shower. "Alright…. Love you. Bye."

My dad knew I was a night owl so sometimes we'd call each other at odd hours. Sometimes we'd make plans to hang out other times we'd just talk about life in general. School, work, boys.

The conversation with my dad cleared my head a bit. Awesome. We'd be hanging out with him next weekend.

As I was about to return to the wildcat in the living room I was getting another call.

"Yes," I answer.

"Giiiiiirl where are you?"

"Are you drunk?" I ask Selphie.

"Almost. But you need to get your ass back hereeeee. How-"

She's cut off and another voice comes on.

"Hey Namine how close are you to the club?" It was Axel.

"About a block."

"Well we need to get going. Selphie is out of her mind wasted. Wrap up whatever or whoever you're doing and lets hit the road."

I pout a bit.

"Alright I'll be there in a few."

"Meet us right outside the club by that bouncer."

"Kay."

Regrettably I walk back into our almost sex den.

"Sorry to cut this short but I have somewhere I need to be. My coworker just called."

"I understand how business goes."

I quickly pick up my things and redress. All the while he watches me like a lion sizing up his prey. So I give him a show. I never knew putting clothes on could be a sensual experience.

After putting on my heels Taka hands me a card. "When you're not busy."

I quickly kiss him before leaving. Damn he's a good kisser. I grab my purse and make my way out his apartment with a confident stride.

* * *

My Tuesday was filled to the brim. Recovering from last night's partying was high on my list of things to do.

I handled my liquor well considering. But Selphie was so smashed and dealing with her in that state was a task in itself. Pushing her up the ladder leading to her room, on the second floor, was difficult. Once I forced her through the window she had a case of the giggles. I had to threaten to burn her new Jimmy Choo's so she'd shut up. Angry parents are not something you want to deal with at three in the morning. And we still had to face the school day ahead of us.

I'm surprised Selphie even made it as hung-over as she was. I had to drive us in her car, while she slept against the passenger window. She wore a huge pair of sunglasses for the remainder of the day.

I practically forced myself through classes, nearly falling asleep during yoga doing the child's pose.

I was barely functioning during class, thankful that me teachers didn't call on me for anything.

With my whirring head and heavy body, I nearly forgot about meeting with the gallery owner in White Plains later on. During lunch I spoke to Pocahontas.

"So I'll meet you just outside of the gallery. I'm familiar with the area." She proceeded to give me instructions. "You'll pass a coffee and art store right before you reach _Goddess Alive_. If you've come to a purse boutique you've gone too far."

After my dance class with Mulan, I had Riku drop me off around the area. He was supposed to be having a little 'date' with Rinoa later, so I told him not to wait around for me. I'd find a way home.

I spent some time walking around the area and checking out the shops. With an iced coffee in hand, I met Pocahontas in front of the gallery.

There were large floor to ceiling glass acting as the walls. You could see straight into the gallery. After pulling back, the almost nonexistent door, we were greeted with cool air. I continued sipping my drink as we took in the art. I was more into the flawless white marble tiles and the sparkling walls. It was a soft shade of cream but it looked like there were gold diamonds sprouting in the walls.

Clio was further down into the sculpture area of the expanse. "Oh hello." She greets us with a demure smile. "Namine, right?"

"Yes, how are you?" She pulls me into a hug.

"I'm fantastic. I'm glad you could make it. I have some new pieces that I've been dying to show off." She looks beyond me to Pocahontas. "Oh where are my manners. Who is this?"

"Before we get carried away I'd like to introduce you to my art teacher, Pocahontas."

She takes in my teacher with child like eyes. She was wearing a tan felt like skirt and a burgundy red tank. Beautiful brown moccasins adorned her feet. Clio was drinking in appearance. "Oh Pocahontas, what a lovely name. I'm Clio, it's nice to meet you." She pulls her in for a hug too.

Pocahontas and Clio hit it off instantly. Clio said that she would be overjoyed to display the students' art pieces in her gallery. She knew a few people who were looking for 'up and coming' artists. And what better place than school to get inspiration that was ripe for the picking.

While they settled on some sort of game plan I took to checking out the rest of her gallery. Clio wasn't kidding when she said she only wanted the best. Although I didn't know much about art, her gallery was filled with beautiful pieces. Shimmering sculptures and emotionally moving paintings. It almost made me wish I was talented in this area.

We left the loft later that day. Pocahontas with a chance for her students to showcase their talents and me with a tiny little sculpture to stick in my room.

* * *

_BGM: How to be a Heartbreaker – Marina and the Diamonds_

"Namine," Cloud whined.

"Yeah?"

"Can you please…stop that?"

"Stop what?" I smile as I placed another kiss on his neck.

He sighs. "You know exactly what."

"Hmm I don't know what you're talking about." I feign innocence.

"I really need to finish this paper."

I breathe a sigh onto his cheek. "Okay." I plop onto my back on his bed.

I was hanging out at Cloud's house for the day. Cloud was working on an English paper and it was taking all of his concentration to complete it. We had started a list of bake sale items but got sidetracked along the way.

I scroll through my Instagram feed hoping to cure my boredom.

There was a picture of Selphie with some strange guy from the other night. Well at least she looked good in the picture.

"What's another word for oppose?" Cloud asks me.

"Um," I pull up my dictionary app. "Fight, resist, disagree, counter, pitted against."

" 'Kay thanks." He scribbles something down and I return to my phone.

A text arrives from Vanitas. **Hey are you busy?**

**Yeah kinda** I reply. I was bored out of my mind to be honest.

**I wanted to run some moves by you.**

**For?**

It was a while before I got a response from him. He interrupted my Angry Birds game.

**A sketch**

**For the fundraiser? **I question.

**Yea** I could hear his reluctance in that.

I nearly jump for joy. **Wait til Rinoa hears this :D**

I immediately get a response. **What no. I'm not gonna be there**

**So what? You want me to relay the moves to her.**

**That works.** I could see Van smirking at the thought.

**Argh. You're so infuriating sometimes.**

He was adamant about having no part in the cheerleader's shenanigans. I couldn't blame him. It was hard to work with some of the girls. While a small amount paid attention and were willing to go out of their comfort zone, there were a good lot that wanted to spend their time elsewhere.

I sigh and looked over to Cloud. He was still scribbling in his notebook. Comparing Shakespeare to Anne Rice wasn't that hard. Just a little imagination in word play and some research and the paper should be finished.

My phone vibrates from its current position on my stomach.

**Oh, you know you love me** Van texts back.

I snort in rebuff. **I was almost expecting an 'xoxo' at the end of that**

Though Van wasn't really into pop culture much.

**?**

***eye roll* nvm, you wouldn't get it**

Some of my TV knowledge and wit was lost on him. I put my phone on a night stand and make my way over to Cloud. I lie gently on my stomach and wait for him to notice me. Sighing I slowly work my hands across his lower back. He jumps slightly, startled by my cold touch, but resumed writing.

"I'm bored," I pout. "Entertain me." I traced my hand down his arm, taking his pen and notebook with it. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." At this point he was leaning towards me and I was still on my stomach. I looked at Cloud's curious expression. After smiling, I slowly and swiftly connected my mouth with his. It tasted like peaches; and not the nasty syrupy ones from an old Thanksgiving can. A fresh cut fruit straight from the garden. I rested my hand on his shoulder and slowly traced it down his chest.

It was a sweet and innocent kiss. Until he placed his hand at the base of my neck. I could feel myself raise up and gradually fall into his chest. He ran one hand through my hair pulling me even closer. We were sitting next to each other, but I was starting to fall into his lap. Not that I minded. I move my mouth from his to his neck and slowly sucked on the skin there.

I could feel him stiffen at this and I unhurriedly unbutton the top of his shirt. Returning my lips to his, he kissed me with more vigor. His hand slowly rose up my shirt, tracing my stomach and resting underneath my bust.

_Wow he's good at this. I wonder what else he's good at._

I hear a loud knock on his bedroom door and jump at the sound. "When you're done with your dessert mom wants you in the kitchen," I hear a boy call from Cloud's bedroom door.

I break away from him slowly resting my forehead against his. "Your brother I assume."

He chuckles. "Yeah."

Damn right I was the dessert. I was the entrée, main course, and the flambé.

"Better go see what your 'rents want."

0.0

After making a cameo with his parents, surprisingly not awkward _and_ filled with light banter, Cloud drops me off at my house.

We pull up into an empty spot in front of my house. Cloud leaves his car running and turns to me. "So Namine, tell me. Are we dating?"

The question sort of catches me off guard. "Do you fancy calling yourself my beaux? Or would you prefer the term significant other? Personally I think that one has too many syllables."

"So, that's a yes?" he questions me with searching eyes.

I take a second to think it over. "Yeah," I smile.

I lean over the console and plant a quick kiss on his lips. Before he has time to react I slip out of the seat, out of the car, and make my way to the driver's side.

"See you tomorrow, boyfriend," I wink.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Good For One Thing – Leighton Meester_

The rest of my week sails by smoothly. Dance, newspaper duties, practice, homework. I was glad when the last bell rang Friday afternoon.

Kairi was having her first swim meet of the season. And I was eager to see her show off her skills. They were a little late starting, but better late than never. Mom had taken work off early to pick us up after school ended, although Kairi decided to ride with her friends.

Dad met us at the local pool where the meet was being held. As we walked through the doors together, the mild smell of chlorine wafted over us. There's a good amount of parents and friends seated on the bleachers. There's a metal barrier separating the home team from the away.

The coach was a sweet woman, tall and slender. Her hair was in a high ponytail and she was wearing khaki shorts and a lavender shirt.

"Hi there," she waves at us from her position by the pool's edge.

Yuffie and I take a seat while Mom and Dad speak to the swimming coach. Probably to embarrass Kairi with stories of how she's loved the water since she was little. Better her than us.

Eventually the swim team made their way out of their locker rooms. We spoke to Kairi while they waited for the pool house to fill up.

Once everyone had warmed up and taken their places the race was ready to begin. With a loud whistle the race starts; the swimmers are off in a flash. I personally don't know much about the sport except that it's racing in water. It was still fun to watch.

The first two racers on the Bulldogs team take off with no problems. They breeze through the water with finesse. The opposing team, the Bobcats, were a bit slow but soon catch up. They make up for lost time with their third swimmer.

The coach turns to Kairi and says, "Alright Kairi, I'm putting you in the last lap of the race. Think you can handle it?"

"Yes," she beams.

Kairi swiftly puts a pink rubber cap over her hair waits eagerly by the side of the pool. The third Bulldog pulls out of the pool and Kairi delves into the watery abyss. She easily catches up behind the third person in the opposing teams lap doubling back as they reach the pool midway. She was like a fish gracefully moving through the water.

"Come on Kairi!"

"You can do it!"

The air horn blows, signaling the end of the race. Everyone on our side of the bleachers jumps up, cheering for the swim team.

Alright, another win for the Bulldogs.

After the team did their victory hugs and high-fives, Kairi goes into the locker rooms to change. The swimmers and coaches disperse and the parents, friends, and family talk amongst themselves; either leaving to the parking lot or occupying the bleachers.

We wait around for a while until Kairi makes her way out.

She comes back to us dressed in a flowery short romper and sandals.

"We all got these medals. The trophy is staying in the school," Kairi says.

"It would be nice if the team could share the trophy," Yuffie says.

"What like having custody of it every week?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"That's just ridiculous. Plus it's easier to show off this medal," Kairi holds the blue ribbon between her fingers.

We were walking through the parking lot heading to our cars. Dad was treating us all to dinner. Kairi ended up choosing a home styled Mexican restaurant. Fajitas, refried beans, pico de gallo, Baracoa, guacamole.

The servers were friendly and hospitable. What I liked the most about this place was that it was a little hole in the wall. It wasn't like those food chains that were concentrating on getting you in and out on a time frame.

It was a small, homey environment. The proportions were large, not that I was complaining. The seats were comfy and plush. The setting was perfect for a family outing. I smiled as I slyly stole some shrimp from Yuffie's plate.

It was moments like this that made us feel like a whole family again. The laughter and teasing. The congratulations from my parents and stories of their high school days. The general merriment and jovial atmosphere.

It was beautiful while it lasted. Until our stomachs were full and the plates were empty. And we bid of father goodbye, going back to our separate homes. Promising to hang out another time and talk about whatever.

This was my family. It happened all on its own. And it's a little broken, but it's still good.

* * *

_BGM: Lava – Kat Dahlia_

The volleyball game on Saturday passes by in a blur. The score was close 40 to 35. I tell my parents not to bother with coming to see the game. I knew they were working and they had been to countless games of mine.

At the last minute I cancelled my plans with Riku. We were supposed to chill in the city, but I decide to spend this time with Cloud. He takes me to a 70s themed diner close to the city.

I was starving after the game. During the last few minutes of the game my stomach was making whale calls. To say I was relieved to reach the restaurant would be an understatement.

I had changed out of my athletic clothes and was dressed comfortably in shorts and a tank.

"That was an awesome game."

"Thanks. I try to keep it entertaining," I respond.

"Yeah. what was that going on with the girl on the other team?" cloud asks.

"the one with the short brown hair?" He nods. "Oh," I wave him off while picking up the menu. "I just told her a hygienic tip and she took it the wrong way."

"_Did you roll around in onions and garlic before you came here? I think you need to change your antiperspirant. Or you can help flavor some spaghetti. There's this great Italian place I know."_

I knew it was mean, but that girl reeked. Throwing her off her game was just another plus.

"So tell me how your game went yesterday," I change the subject.

"Oh you weren't there?"

"Yeah I missed it. We were at Kairi's swim meet." I take a sip of my banana and chocolate shake.

"Well we lost. It was a close game though. We were only three points behind," he says.

"That's only one loss for the season. You have plenty of other teams to beat. And I've seen the team play. You guys are really awesome. Especially their right forward player," I wink at him.

The mini date ended well. Me cleaning off my plate _and _ordering a slice of chocolate cake. Cloud pays for everything. If he planned on dating me, I hoped he was banking a whole lotta lettuce. Cause supplying me with food was no easy feat.

Cloud and I make out in his car a block away from my house.

"We really should stop meeting like this," Cloud says between kisses.

"What?" I start kissing his neck.

"What if your mom comes out here." I hum against his ear and slowly pull away.

"Well you do have a point." Not really. But if he was uncomfortable I wasn't going to pressure him to do otherwise.

* * *

"Don't say anymore, please." I run a hand across my eyes.

"Oh my God, you're kidding me right now."

"Ways to die for $400 please."

"He was nearly ten years your senior," Selphie quietly screams next to me.

"Well I don't know his age for sure," I shrug.

"That's not exactly safe. What if he was some crazy psychopathic killer?" Riku, always the voice of reason.

I had finished my shift at the spa and my friends decided to drop by. We were all getting mani-pedis at half price. I sort of forced Riku to come along. But he didn't protest as the nail technician filled his tub with warm water.

"I know." I hang my head. It wasn't one of my smartest moves I'll admit.

"What about Cloud?" Selphie interjected.

"We're not dating. And nothing happened between me and that guy. There's nothing to worry about." I roll my eyes. Why was everyone questioning my relationship with Cloud?

I related my encounter with Desta to my friends. They were grilling me and reminding me how foolish my decision was. I admit it was one of my most risky life choices.

"I thought I was gonna have to call a search party for you."

"Selphie I told you where I was going and you saw the guy I left with."

"He was smokin' hot, but I've seen better. Anyways I'm your bestie so of course I'm gonna worry about you."

"I think you were more concerned with that guy you were hanging off of."

She holds up a finger as if she's going to rebuff my statement, and sinks back into her seat.

"Yeah that's true," she says.

"I promise I won't do something like that again."

"Until you have another bright idea," Riku says.

"Pretty much."

I was glad that my friends loved me no matter what. My rash decisions and thought process, or lack thereof, was something to contend with. But they always pulled me out before I was in too deep.

* * *

If I make Namine look like a slut, well *shrugs* It depends on your perspective. At another time I might've called her a slut too, but right now I'll just say that she's just exploring her options. And there's nothing wrong with that. If a guy can do it, so can a girl.

And I included that little family time at the end of Kairi's game because I can. It added a soft touch the rest of the chapter, don't you think?

I know I moved things up and it might seem like its rushed. I'm trying to get all the important little details in there without dragging out the story.

Lemma know what you think.

_Sook_


	20. Well Butter My Buns and Call Me a Muffin

So this may be shorter than the average chapter. In my defense chapter 16 was twice as long. And I'm making up for a whole month without posting. Visted my grandparents while on vacation, been working like every single day, blah blah blah etc all that other stuff. But I do hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Otherwise I wouldn't have to go to work tomorrow morning T.T

* * *

Recap:

**I meet a gallery owner.**

"_Yes I own an art gallery in White Plains. You should check it out."_

_**She takes an interest in the students at my school.**_

_**Selphie has a bright idea.**_

"_Selphie I swear if I ever have to do this again I will kill you." I hold my heels in hand while I stealthily climb down the ladder. We were heading to a club downtown._

_**We make some business connections with an older working crowd.**_

_I did my part of playing a struggling college undergrad, working a nine to five internship that didn't pay nearly enough, just looking to broaden my horizons while making adequate spending cash._

_**I also meet someone.**_

_He was a masterpiece. But he couldn't take the hint that I was trying to leave him._

_**But after a while**_

_He was certainly talking my language now. Free drinks? Yes please!_

_**Before things go too far my friends summon me**_

"_Well we need to get going. Selphie is out of her mind wasted. Wrap up whatever or whoever you're doing and lets hit the road."_

_**Cloud puts a label on our relationship**_

"_So Namine, tell me. Are we dating?"_

"_Yeah," I smile._

_**Kairi has her swim meet, helping to gain a trophy for her team.**_

_**My volleyball team scores another win**_

_**Cloud and I have a small date**_

_**All in all I think things are going well...**_

* * *

**Chapter 17:** **Well Butter My Buns and Call Me a Muffin**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: One of the Boys – Katy Perry_

With October nearing, Halloween was around the corner and another show was on its way. This time I wasn't needed for it. One thing I could check off my list.

I'd enlisted the help of more than half of the teachers. Thankfully most of them worked well with each other.

Mr. Graham and Reno were still at each other's throats. Ms. Ducas was sort of the go between for them. It really helped that they both had a crush on the drama teacher. Standing at 5'9, with beautiful Greek sculpted features, and a slender build she would deff be my Woman Crush Wednesday.

My days were slowly beginning to fall into a nice pattern: School, dance, volleyball practice, the fundraiser, and Cloud.

Not particularly in that order. I was more focused on dancing and the fundraiser. In my mind, Cloud had _almost_ fallen to the back burner. Of course I was still _interested _ in him; I just had more important matters to contend with. I needed to concentrate on passing my classes this semester. I wasn't exactly ignoring Cloud's texts, but I wasn't making much of an effort towards him. Our relationship was more of the physical nature.

On a side note I thought my acrobatic skills were improving by far.

I _was_ sitting on my yoga mat stretching out pressure that had built in my calf, until Quistis had pulled me out of class for this. And I was hoping it would be worth it. I could still feel like the light tingle of the upset muscle in my leg.

I had already made my intentions clear to Jacques. But only because he could see through anything I tried I sugar coat. I guess the quickest way to know me was through my stomach.

"I can come up with a little something, mon cherie. You have anything specific in mind?" Jacques asks.

"Well I was hoping Mr. Skellington could work alongside you. I heard from Ms. Powahtan that he has great ideas for pastries."

Mr. Skellington was our Home Economics teacher. He was a tall, lanky fellow and eccentric in everything he did. I thought he would be the perfect yang to Jacques' yin. And he had wonderful creative ideas.

I was 'released' from Master Eraqus' yoga class a little early to attend to _business_. Quistis was gracious enough to pull me out of class. She wanted me to get the kitchen staff involved in a bake sale. And I wanted a sugar break. But the former excuse worked too.

"Ok I'll speak with him. Maybe we can get some pumpkin and bat shaped cookies."

"Oui and we can do eyeballs that are brownies dipped in white chocolate."

"That sounds delicious."

We were putting together a bake sale list. Just something small to start off with.

"You know if this will affect the school's Halloween festivities?" Hatter asks us from behind the counter.

"It shouldn't. But why do you ask?" Jacques says.

"I finally planned my costume! Can't wait to show it off." With that he ran off to finish making, what I hoped was, lunch.

Jacques sighs. "Sometimes I just don't know about him." I laugh. "But it's better than working with Brian," he whispers.

We decided on a simple list of sugar cookies, brownies, and some special punch. The bake sale should be up and running for October. It was only the third week of September but Quistis demanded that we had **everything** in order.

Thankfully there was a decent sized space in front of the school. The empty field of green would serve perfectly for the bake sale. So I wouldn't have to do much more besides coming up with the baked goods. And if it was planned well enough we'd make tons of money.

"How soon do you think we can do this?" I ask.

"Getting the supplies and having things settled with Ansem, maybe in a week and a half," Jacques replies.

"Alright. Can I have a sample of something? All that dancing and yoga I did really dropped my blood sugar."

Jacques rolls his eyes. "Oui mon Cherie, you may have a small taste of what was prepared for lunch."

I follow Jacque further into the kitchens. "I hope it's something deep fried and smothered in chocolate."

0.0

"Do you think it'll be much?" I ask.

"That'll be determined with time," Rinoa says to me.

She places some brownie mix into the shopping cart.

Quistis saw that there was a sale on baking goods at A&amp;P. Somehow I ended up taking the trip with Rinoa. Quistis said she 'trusted' us with buying necessary items. She probably just didn't want to make the trip.

Principle Ansem had supplied us with the school's credit card. It was used for school supplies of any nature and was to be used solely for the purpose of school activities. I guess this counted as one.

A good amount of the cakes and brownies were only fifty cents a box so we were stocking up.

"We just need to keep a positive attitude. And everything will work itself out," Rinoa tells me.

It was only fitting that she was captain of the cheer team. With pep in each step and smiles in her eyes, it was definitely fitting.

"It wouldn't hurt if we starting making Oprah money," I say.

Rinoa laughs at me.

I was being a bit serious though.

Rinoa was being a bit picky about each box that went into the cart and was scoping it out like she was picking out a new brand of tampons.

I roll my eyes. We'd be here forever if we continued at this rate. Quistis didn't make any specifics of what we needed.

"_Just get cake mix and come back to the school."_

Her directions were clear enough to me.

I move from alongside Rinoa and walk to stand at the edge of the cart. Before she can register what I'm doing, I bring my arm out dragging it across the top shelf. A mountain of cakes and cookies fall into the shopping cart.

After the mass of chocolates and yellow cakes fall, I get a clear view of her. She's used her hands as a cover for her head. In a calm voice she says, "Namine what the hell?"

"I'm saving time and energy," I smile at her. "Now for the sugar and eggs."

"Please don't do that with the eggs. I like mine whole not scrambled."

"Oh we'll see," I reply.

~0~0~

_BGM: Self Inflicted – Katy Perry_

Over the short course of time that school started Van and I had learned a great deal in acrobatics. Mulan patiently waited for us to gain trust in each other before teaching us certain moves. With each lesson we built more on previous moves and learned new things, exercising our muscles in different ways. And pushing our patience and reliance with each other to the max.

It was challenging but fun. And it was working my muscles to the bone. The last set of moves Mulan had made us practice were more of the ballet variety. An Arabesque is what she called it. I felt like a ballerina trying to balance on one foot while moving the rest of my torso all over the place. It was more of a stretching exercise flexing the muscles in my legs and back.

Today we started with a simple warm up, slowly making our way through some simple moves we'd learn.

"I want you to try the Valdez."

"It already sounds complicated," I say.

"Well you're sort of right," Mulan replies. "Start off on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. We'll do this in parts so you can get the hang on it."

Van and I both sit on a mat. "Now bring your left knee up to meet your chest. Your left arm, you're going to place it behind you as if you're bracing yourself. The right arm is going to lift up in front of you to be parallel to the floor." She checks to make sure we've got it. "Now your right leg and arm are going to make its way up and over your heads and onto the floor behind you. Really use your left arm and leg to support you."

She makes us practice this a few times, stopping briefly to show us herself and letting us try the move out on our own.

"Well this seems easy enough," Van says.

"We're not quite done. A Valdez is meant to be done languidly and swift. And it's as if you're doing a backwards cartwheel." We get the hang of it in no time.

"Why don't we try some partnering moves?"

We both stand up.

"Namine you're light on your feet. Vanitas this will test your strength and control. Simply hold Namine's arm with both hands and swing her around in a circle."

We try it and I feel a bit silly.

"Ok now you're going to do the same thing, bringing Namine around. But she's going to drop low to the ground, the only thing supporting her will be your tight grip on her hand." She makes us try the move, speeding it up each time.

"Ok now that you've got that, you're going to repeat the move, this time Vanitas take your right leg placing it around Namine's. So it's almost like you're holding her in place. When she gets ready to come back up, lift your left leg to release her and pull her back up." With each release and pull I was just hoping that Van wouldn't drop me.

0.0

When we get home from school on Friday, we find Dad's car double parked in front of the house.

He's speaking to Mom when we walk through the front door.

"Hey how was school." He scoops us all into a hug.

"Fine," Yuffie replies.

"When do we leave?" I ask.

"You girls ready to go?" he asks.

"Yup."

"I'll go get my bag." Kairi races up the stairs.

"Yeah we're prepared."

"You're dropping them off at school Monday?" Mom asks him.

"Yeah. I'll even make them breakfast."

Yuffie shakes her head. "Please don't."

"Why not?" Dad questions.

"I don't like eggshells in my eggs." She leaves to get her overnight bag.

"Oh come on. it was that one time."

"Dad, there was nothing left of my bread after scraping the burnt part off the toast," I say.

"The effort is appreciated but I'll pass," Yuffie returns with both of our bags.

"We can go to IHOP," I suggest.

"We're going to IHOP?" Kairi comes racing down the stairs. She loved getting their Rooty Tooty Fresh N Fruity.

"So that's settled."

We say goodbye to our mom and race to the double parked car. I don't think Dad needed another ticket for parking violations.

"Well I took off of work," I say.

"So we have no time restrictions! Maybe I can get Dad to take me to that shoe specialty store."

"Don't you have enough shoes," I say to Yuffie.

"Don't you have enough jewelry?"

"Touché," I reply.

We make our way into Dad's car and into the city. The drive was loud, filled mostly with Yuffie talking about how well she was doing, school wise, hoping to get Dad to buy her a new pair of sneakers. We were speculating on what we would do this weekend. We had a whole three days with our father, the possibilities weren't exactly endless but they were vast.

We settle into the living room of his condo after dropping our bags in our room.

"So where do you think we're going?" Kairi asks excitedly.

"I'm not sure to be honest."

Dad wasn't much of a cook, but he had a thing for cuisine. I really did take after him.

"Has there been a place around here we haven't been to? I'd really like to try something new," I say.

"That Thai place was great."

"So was that German restaurant. Oh my God I love their sauerkraut," Kairi smiles.

I cringe at that.

Dad returns from the other room with a strange look on his face. It looks like his bad news face. I brace myself.

"That was the office," he starts.

"Yes," I prod him for more info.

"They've decided to have a dinner tonight. It was last minute and they want me to meet some prospective partners." I guess even being your own boss has some drawbacks. "It could mean expansion on our end. But I don't want to spend my time with you working."

"That's a good idea," I say.

"I'd love an older crowd. I'm getting sick of teenage hormone crazed idiots. A nice mature group would be perfect for us young ladies to entertain ourselves," Yuffie says.

"Ok Ms. Bennett, hold your horses," Dad says. "Now we don't _have_ to go. I don't want to drag you-"

"I'd love to go," Kairi says.

"Yeah maybe we can find some nice connections for the fundraiser." Some old people with too much money and time on their hands. "I'm sure they'd love a cause to occupy their time."

Dad gets silent and just gives us a deadpan look. He purses his lips a moment and sighs before saying, "Ok. But I don't think you've brought anything fancy you can wear."

We wave him off. "The night is young!" Kairi exclaims.

"Kairi we are not going shopping," Yuffie shakes her head at her.

"I'm sure we have some evening wear somewhere," I chime in.

We kept a stash of clothes at our dad's condo for times like this. "We'll find something nice," I assure him. "So when is it?" I ask.

"In about two hours."

"Two hours? How are we suppose to get ready in that time?" Yuffie exclaims and jumps out of her seat. "Then we need to get to work. Come on girls." With that I leave the comfort of the love seat and head into our room.

0.0

Dad constructed the condo with five bedrooms; one for himself, one for each of his daughters, and a guest bedroom. When the wound of divorce was fresh my sisters' and I didn't want to be separated from each other. Something about being in a strange place away from home made us crave each other's company. So Dad had the walls in between our rooms knocked down.

While we each had our own bed and dresser, each area was separated by the wall color. Though we often argued on who's poster went on what wall. It was a cool gradient that started with red and made its way to a deep purple. Kairi was in the area with the warm reds and pinks. I was in the middle where the green and blue met for turquoise time. Yuffie was in the end with the deep purples and violets.

It was all bright, radiant hues but the colors weren't overwhelming. I really had to hand it to the interior decorators. They outdid themselves.

"So are we going with a theme?" Kairi asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "If you want to."

"I have an idea," Yuffie says lacing her fingers together. "Do you have any accessories with you?" she asks.

"Yeah I just threw some into a bag," I reply.

As she takes a look at them she says, "They're pretty basic tones so I have a lot to work with."

"And what exactly are you going to have us parade around as?"

"Don't worry about it doll. Just go make your hair and face pretty. I'll pick out our clothes," Yuffie says.

0.0

_BGM: Next Time You See Me – JR Parker_

"I don't see it," Kairi says. Her hair is pinned to one side and set in a thick 20s wave. She was wearing loose black palazzo pants and a loose fitting top. She has cute feather earrings and a large gold watch on her wrist. Kairi looked like she was part of the affluent class.

Yuffie has settled on a dark green dress, pairing it with black and gold heels. Her short hair hangs in loose curls.

Yuffie went a little overboard with my look. I was wearing a red A-line skirt with a yellow sleeveless top that had a triangle cutout on the bottom. I felt a bit exposed where the skirt didn't quite cover my abdomen. My hair was up and away from my face, in a high ponytail.

"Ok Yuffie I'm not sure what you were going for. But we do look great," Kairi says.

"No one understands my artistry," she says with a hand on her waist.

"I kind of have a Mickey Mouse thing going on. With the yellow, red, and black." I turn to her. "Did I get it?"

"You did. We're Mickey, Donald, and Goofy."

Kairi scrunches her face up. "I still don't see it."

"Ok enough ogling at the mirror, I'm starving." On cue my stomach gargles.

"You're always hungry."

"Exactly. So let's go before I eat that leather chair in the living room."

0.0

The place was gorgeous. I wondered if the company rented it out or owned it. as we pulled up to the building I admired the thick white stone columns on the outside. As my sisters and I stepped out of the car there was a valet ready to take the keys from our dad.

_Fancy._

It was a short few steps to the building itself.

The foyer was huge. The dark wood floor was polished so clean I could see myself in it. It was paired with rich red velvet walls. A black table sat in front of the two doors.

"This would be beautiful for the set of Beauty and the Beast," I comment.

"Or costume party."

"I wonder how much it would cost to rent this out." I could already see the wheels turning in Kairi's head. Her and Selphie loved to plan things like that.

"More than you have in your piggy bank," Yuffie replies.

"Because you cleaned it out," Kairi says.

"Oh that's the last time I ask for your help fixing-"

"It wasn't _my_ friend that threw up on Mom's comforter."

They were arguing about a party we had thrown some time ago. Things got a little out of hand and we had to have Mom's bedspread dry cleaned. It was _not _cheap. But I sure wasn't paying for it.

"Oh, Mr. Odayaka. We were wondering when you'd arrive," a lady with a tight bun and a floor length black dress walks up to us.

"We were just running a little late," he says. Our dad settled for something simple, a dark navy suit with a white shirt. Yuffie insisted on picking out his tie; a blue and white polka dotted bowtie.

A few more words to the lady and through the doors we went. The ballroom was huge. With a dark mosaic on the floors, floor to ceiling windows, and golden curtains lining the walls I felt like I had just walked into a grand castle.

"Are we here for dinner or to see a king," Yuffie comments.

"I dunno but this place is gorgeous," Kairi responds.

We took our seats at a table towards the center of the room. Personally I don't think the world revolves around me but it sure felt good to be the center of attention.

Our dad made small talk with some people who I assumed where his employees. He was kind enough to introduce us to some of them. After about the tenth introduction, he was whisked off to tend to business.

My sisters and I spoke amongst ourselves until I decided to stretch my legs. I didn't get all dolled up to sit around. Puling myself from my seat I straighten my skirt and bid my sisters adieu.

In the immense crowd of my dad's employees and prospective business partners I did find a familiar face.

"Anne, how are you?" I ask.

"Oh my God, Namine. You've grown so much." The tall slender woman engulfs me in a warm hug. Although there was an obstacle between us.

"I should say the same about you. What did you swallow a watermelon?" Ann was a friendly person, specializing in the PR and sales department of my father's business. And what with her bubbly attitude and upbeat mindset she had a permanent position in his company.

"Yeah, it feels more like an anvil. Only three more months til this sucker pops out." She was well into her pregnancy. I was glad she was having a baby and I wasn't just calling her fat. That would be embarrassing.

We continued to talk until someone who I assumed was her husband stole her away for a dance. I found a few more faces, old and new to speak to. My stomach was still grumbling but I decided to stay busy chatting, hoping to keep the noise at bay.

I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. Thinking it was my dad I turned around with a smile. "Can we eat now, I'm starving. I want some buffalo wings."

"Well you certainly seem to have an appetite for various things," a cool voice says.

_Oh shit._

It was that guy I met from the club the other day. What was his name? Delta? Devin? Dan?

_Dammit._

I could feel the blood rush to my face. I just hope it wasn't showing.

"Hi, fancy seeing you," I slip on a mask of calmness.

"How about a dance?" he asks.

It isn't really a question as he links arms with me and briskly leads me to the dance floor like a pig to slaughter.

I took a deep breath and released it easily. My mind was racing but a demure smile graced my lips. He was careful to keep his hand above my waist and our distance at least a foot apart.

"It's nice to meet you Mr.-"

"Please we're passed formalities. Call me Taka."

They were playing soft music but not loud enough to drown out the chatter. I was about to ask him about what business he was involved with when he beat me to the punch.

"I have quite a story to relate to you."

"Please, do tell." Not that I really want to hear.

"Imagine me meeting a man who is someone I would **love** to do business with. I have great ideas, he has a flourishing business. Then come to find out that he's not too keen on the idea. In fact he might despise me **and** my business dealings. I mean that's all fine, business doesn't always work out the way you want it to. But when wind gets around about some little school fund raiser he throws a _party_ inviting all the business connections in the area. And inadvertently I happen to be one of those connections."

I start to open my mouth but he cuts me off.

"And it just so happens that the woman I met a while ago is his **daughter**. Who goes to this school that is having this fundraiser. **High** school too. How ironic."

I keep silent, sizing up my options: run to my father and tell him to dispose of this guy, tell Desta I just wanted to hit it and quit it, or play with him a bit more.

"Just what game are you playing at?" he asks.

"What makes you think I'm playing a game?" I raise an eyebrow.

"You're dancing around the questions expertly like you've done this before."

"You know what they say, don't hate the player, hate the game."

"You must like the older ones. Tired of playing around with boys, _Lucy_?" he asks while tightening his grip on my hand.

I blink unaffected. "No just testing the waters." Hopefully I wouldn't drown.

He smiles slightly and brings his mouth close to my ear. "How come you didn't say anything about being a minor?"

My heart is beating a mile a minute when I respond. "You never asked," I reply calmly.

"I should've known something was off when I never received a phone call from you."

"Maybe I just wasn't interested. You ever think about that?" I give him a pointed look.

"_Every_ woman is interested in me."

"Don't flatter yourself, Desta. You come off as cool and casual but you're obviously compensating for something." I could feel his anger rising slowly, his hands still gripping me vice-like.

I continue to look him straight in the eye. "And I'm sure if I had stayed longer I would've found out just what it was."

I saw something in his face change. It was very slight and I would've missed it if I wasn't paying attention. Did I hit a nerve?

"Alright Taka, I'd like to get a dance in with my daughter before the night ends." I had never been so grateful for an interruption in my life. Super Dad to the rescue.

"Oh this lovely young lady is your daughter?" he releases his hold on me. "She was so sophisticated that I had mistaken her for one of our colleagues."

"Yeah I must give off that mature vibe." I smile.

"Well sir you can definitely have the next dance. Nice meeting you Namine." Something about his words sent a chill down my back.

My father picks up where Desta left off, swaying slightly to the lively jazz music.

"Was he bothering you Nam?" Dad asks with a concerned look.

I shrug my shoulders. "He gives me the creeps. Just a bit. He seems like he's dangerous."

"No not like physically," I say when my dad gives me a look. "He just looks like he's planning something devious and scandalous."

I never even bothered to get all detailed with him. revealing my night life to my dad would make him flip his lid. Let alone that I was hanging around a much older guy.

"He's nothing short of a bully and loan shark."

That's what he meant by his business dealings. Well I was glad my father wasn't going involving himself with that jerk. I should probably follow in his stead.

Because it's funny how some things come back to bite you in the ass.

* * *

**The outfits I chose for the girls is on my Polyvore.**

_Sook _


	21. Just the In-Betweens

**So this chapter is a sporty one. It didn't start out that way, but for purposes needed to be met the little things to get done. Just to clarify, the last chapter took place in around the beginning of October. And this will pick up from there.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline.**

* * *

Recap:

I don't know that you really need one, but for consistency I will oblige.

**A trial bake sale**

_I wasn't doing the actual baking but I helped to pick out all the cakes and mixes._

**We spend the weekend with our dad**

"_Yeah. I'll even make them breakfast," he says._

"_Please don't," my sisters and I beg._

**At a business dinner for our dad's company, an unwanted person makes their appearance**

"_You're the daughter of the man who won't do business with me. And you're in high school. Just what game are you playing at?"_

"_I'm just testing the waters."_

"_Every woman is interested in me."_

"_Don't flatter yourself, Desta._

**But my dad comes to the rescue**

"_Alright Taka, I'd like to get a dance in with my daughter before the night ends."_

"_Was he bothering you Nam?" Dad asks with a concerned look._

"_He gives me the creeps."_

**My father picks up where Desta left off, swaying slightly to the lively jazz music and calming my nerves**_**.**_

* * *

**Chapter 18: Just the In-Betweens**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Fake Tales of San Francisco – Arctic Monkeys_

After the little party Friday night, we asked our dad a million questions about the company. Some of the employees were familiar faces we had grown to know from visiting our dad at his office. But it seemed like his business had expanded greatly; as did the staff.

I dished to Yuffie later that evening about Desta; where I actually met him and the weird vibes he gave off. She shared Riku and Selphie's concern about being alone with him. Guess they were worried for a legit reason.

The rest of the weekend went by smoothly. We played cheesy board games and ordered a ton of takeout. I didn't want to take Dad up on that home cooked meal since Ramen noodles were the best thing he could make. We settled for Mexican, Chinese, and any other food places in the area.

We caught up on school and work, dating and sports. There wasn't a dull moment in our visit, something I could be thankful for. The dating aspect though, was geared more towards Kairi. Being the youngest, she was still liked to be kept under lock and key, much to her dismay. Dad spared no words in his long speech. She wouldn't be hanging around any schmuck with a cute face and pretty eyes. Yuffie and I took the chance to escape to the balcony. Yuffie had her focus directed elsewhere, saving her from that impending conversation. And Dad had an understanding with me, one that included a very stern talk about not being a grandparent at his age and safe sex. And that him and Mom would kill me and make sure no one ever found the body. Glad to know they were on the same page about something.

During that short time I had texted Cloud quite a bit. But it was a task trying to balance that needed time with my dad and my affections for my new person of interest. I ended up spending a majority of my time with my dad. Important things first and all.

We ended the wonderful weekend with a trip to this new bakery. Our dad spared no expense to our endless amount of scones (they had at least ten varieties), muffins, lattes, and toasted breads. It was a great way to kick start Monday.

At my persistence, our dad dropped us off at school early that morning. It was much to Kairi and Yuffie's dismay but I had business to attend to. Newspaper duties, Cloud, catching up with Riku. They would understand.

Yuffie draped herself over Kairi in an attempt to catch some extra sleep.

"You're too heavy," Kairi complains.

"But you're so soft Kai."

"Oh look there's Ariel. I have to talk to her about the next swim meet." With that Kairi pushes Yuffie away and takes off.

She's startled by the action and turns to me. "Hey Namine," Yuffie starts.

"Busy. Bye." I leave my sister in haste. She'll probably fall asleep on some steps.

After exchanging my books at my locker I run into Vanitas.

"Fancy seeing you here so early," I greet him.

"I had to talk with a teacher about a grade."

Vanitas was a shut-in, which attributed to his near flawless grades. I admit I was a bit jealous.

"For what? You're like, at the top of our class."

"He marked a few terms on my paper wrong. I wanted my full marks."

I give Van a look. "And here I thought _I_ was a perfectionist."

He waves it away. "Don't give me that look. Anyways I also have some business to take care of."

Business, what business? I take a look around the virtually empty hallway and spot a girl by Van's locker.

_Oh, that kind of business._

"Let that one down easy, would ya?"

"I make no promises," Van says before leaving.

I texted Riku on the drive over and was hoping we'd be here at the same time. I also stopped to send Cloud a good morning text of sorts. Hopefully he didn't have a problem with being woken up early. If not, then I'm sure I'd hear otherwise when I saw him.

I started to make my way over to his locker in hopes of finding him.

"Just the man I was looking for," I say when I spot a head of silver among a small crowd.

"How was your weekend?" Riku asks after hugging me.

"Filled with edamame soup and chorros."

"You were with your dad." It was more a statement than question.

"Yeah, it was fun." We walk away from whoever he was talking to. "He took us to a bakery this morning and nearly bought out the whole place."

"What, and you didn't get me anything?" he places a hand to his chest in mock offense.

"Of course I did Sugarlumps. Who else is gonna give you good eats if not me?" I pull a paper wrapped pastry out of my bag and hand it to Riku.

"Thanks," he says before taking it graciously.

"You need to get those carbs in if you ever plan on making the big leagues, Shaq." I slap him on his back.

I hear a muffled 'ow.'

"So how was your weekend?" I ask.

"We won our away game."

"I would say that I'm sorry for missing it but there will be plenty more," I say.

"Ah but you were there in spirit," Riku says dramatically.

"What would you do without me?"

"Hopefully find someone else who knows good food." He takes another bite of the baked good.

I scoff and poke him hard in the stomach.

"Was Rinoa at the game?" I ask.

Riku swallows a bite and looks at me. "She's captain of the cheerleaders, Namine. Of course she was there."

How did that slip my mind? Oh yeah, it was Monday. "Yeah well, I'm sure she was cheering with extra pep in her step just for you." I waggle my eyebrows at him. I catch the light dusting of a blush on his cheeks.

That would've been Kairi's third away game, complete with a trip to an outlet mall, but Yuffie and I dragged Kairi away for the weekend. Well we wanted to spend time with our dad and that's exactly what we got.

"Isa was with me, unfortunately," he says.

Riku was forced to drag his brother along with him. Sharing a hotel room couldn't have been fun. Although his teammates probably got a kick out of that little bundle of energy and sarcasm.

"We had a mini date at a doughnut shop."

"I approve."

"It wasn't my first choice though. The only other options were a sketchy sushi place and a hotdog stand."

"What was wrong with the dogs?"

"It had little hairs on it."

"Probably just a bonus topping."

"Namine, ew."

"Oh you suck the fun out of truck food."

"Anyways it was chill. We walked around the mall some. I made plans for a real date this week. And she told me how you tried to murder her under an avalanche of cake."

I laugh. That's grocery shopping with me. "I promise I didn't hurt a hair on her. I might've shocked her a little though. She wasn't expecting that."

"She does like to be in control."

I saw an opening for an innuendo but didn't take it. Instead I laugh to myself.

"You know, maybe we should double date," I suggest.

"So you two are official?" Riku asks of me and Cloud.

"**He** wanted to put a title on it."

"And you don't?" Riku asks.

I shrug my shoulders. It honestly didn't matter much to me. I was always monogamous with the guy I was spending most of my time with.

"All I know is that we're together," I say.

"He might feel differently about it," Riku replies. "What if he wants more?"

The thought didn't really pass through my one track mind. "It's just me and him. No one else is in the equation. Shouldn't that be enough?" It was a simple concept to me.

"Hey, you work those kinks out of your relationship with Cloud. Find out what he's after."

It seems as though Riku was at the end of his advice for me.

"We'll be fine," I say optimistically.

0.0

_BGM: Collar Full – Panic! At The Disco_

"Are things in order?" Quistis asks me.

"Yes. All of the teachers I spoke with are on the same page as Jacques. The shopping is finished, the menu is drawn up. My last two articles are on the server."

Meeting with my newspaper crew happened quickly after I left my Statistics class. I was pretty much up to date with the right articles and I just needed to finalize a few things with Quistis.

"Can I leave now?" I ask.

"Yes, yes. You may go." She waves me away and returns to her clipboard.

"Aww you're lucky," Selphie whines from her seat, as I pick up my bag.

"I'm going to volleyball practice."

"Still it's not fair." She pops the gum in her mouth.

"You can always join the team."

"And wreck my nails? I don't think so," she turns around in her chair.

"Enjoy the meeting."

After giving my little input on the bake sale, I take my leave. Tifa wasn't too strict when it came to practice, but I _was_ the team captain. And it would look bad if I constantly showed up late.

And just as I had hoped, Tifa was giving a speech as I slipped into the gym. I took this chance to slide on my knee guards.

"So far we have won all the games this season except one. The championship games are coming up soon and we need to be on our A game. Your teamwork has been great and your game play is excellent. You just need to keep that up."

We ran drills for about half an hour before a few girls asked for a break. They looked like they were getting ready to pass out so I granted their request. For the grueling workouts we did, those JV girls lasted a good while. Even though the Varsity team was going to play the championship games, we practiced as a team. And they would have to keep the pace if they planned on staying on the team.

Along with Jasmine and I some of the Varsity included Sarah, Yuffie, Paine, Clara, and Rikku. Though the latter girl's time was split between us and the cheer team. While the others took a break I continued to toss the ball around with a few of my teammates.

"Her last test totally killed my grade for the semester."

"Ursula has the worst exams ever. Don't forget her midterm is coming up soon."

"Glad I don't have her class anymore," I state.

"Yeah lucky you."

"So Namine, how's Cloud?" Jasmine changes the subject with a smirk before throwing the ball my way.

"Oh he's fine," I reply with a grin.

"Yeah, hella fine. Did you see soccer practice the other day?" Rikku chirps up.

"They were shirtless. Have you _seen_ those boys shirtless? Mmm mm," Sarah agrees.

"Aladdin was so-"

"Ugh forget that biscuit chest," Clara scoffs.

"You're just jealous cause he won't pay you any mind. He is-"

"Hey he may be eye candy, but _I've_ called dibbs on him," Jasmine interrupts them with the ball in her hand. "You'll have to settle for one of his soccer pals."

"Fine with me. I prefer brunettes," Sarah says.

"Sorry to break it to ya honey," Paine speaks up. "Flynn is already taken."

She scoffs. "Already? By who?"

"Who _hasn't_ he dated?" Jasmine says.

"Well damn the guy's like a doorknob. And everyone gets a turn but me," Sarah says.

We laugh. "I'm not sure you don't want him after knowing that," I say.

She sighs dramatically. "I guess you're right, but he is sure nice to look at."

"Just like lava lamps. But they're not very bright either."

~0~0~0~

_BGM: 505 – Arctic Monkeys_

_I'm here first for the newspaper, second for Cloud_, I tell myself. But I couldn't help the butterflies my stomach was creating in anticipation of seeing him.

I offered to take pictures for some of the games this week and it just so happened that Cloud had a soccer game on Wednesday. It was a win-win.

After volleyball practice ended I was the first one in the showers. It felt like I was running a relay, trying to scrub sweat from my pores and putting deodorant on. Having to towel dry my hair took the longest. I would've been satisfied with letting it air dry but the October air brought in a chilly breeze. Now was not the time to risk getting sick.

From the showers to the field I went. After setting my things up in a nest I made my way down the bleachers in search of my athlete. I couldn't spot him from the track so I had to make my way passed the fence and on to the field. The players were all dispersed on the grassy plain, in wait of the other team. All I could see was blue and orange uniforms littering the field.

"Looking for someone?"

_There's my guy._

"Hey sweetcheeks," I greet Cloud. He pulls me into a hug.

"I missed you this weekend."

"I'm sure you did," I kiss him lightly on the mouth.

"My weekend was boring. Filled with nothing but homework and NASCAR."

I make a face. "That does sound pretty boring. Though I'd love to get behind the wheel of one of those rides."

"We could've gone to this food festival by the race track."

"Oh yes. Now you're speaking my language." I smile at him as I wrap my arms around his neck. Cloud seemed like a sweet guy from what I gathered. I should probably start treating him like it. "Maybe this Saturday, if you're free, we can do something," I suggest. "I have a game, but after I'm free."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Just let it be a surprise. I promise you won't be disappointed."

He pretends to think on it for a moment. "I'll clear my schedule."

"Have a good game."

"I will now that you're here."

I nearly blush at his words. _He's just saying that _ I tell myself.

Before I release my hold on him, I quickly plant a goodbye kiss on his lips. Cloud surprises me by snaking his arms around my waist to reel me in closer. The chaste kiss becomes a make out session.

His teammates wolf whistle as we pull apart.

"Alright Cloud. Enough mackin on your girl. We have a game to win," one of his teammates call.

I find my breath and laugh. Cloud turns a little red but he is shyly smiling.

"Go get em," I say with confidence.

Leaving the field with an extra skip in my step I trapeze up the metal bleachers, which have now filled with students and some parents, and promptly take my seat. I had created a throne of sorts; I didn't plan on going back to my locker after the game so all of my belongings were with me. My camera bag was at my left side while my lunch box and book bag sat at my right. Sitting on metal could get annoying so I stole a small pillow from the locker room. I'm sure no one would miss it seeing as it was covered in dust. I used it to cushion my butt. The large duffle bag sat at my feet.

I felt like a queen. Now all I needed was some grapes and a court jester. Soon enough I left for snacks and a bathroom break.

The weather was cooling down and these hot cheesy nachos were beautiful on my palate. I watch the field and take pictures as both teams warm up.

Right before the game starts a figure dressed in dark clothes comes up to me and plops down.

"What brings you here?" I ask Vanitas.

"Extra credit." I raise an eyebrow in question. "If I stay for the entire game and answer some of Coach Anderson's questions I'll get a higher grade in PE."

"Seriously Van?"

"What, I may like to dance but I'm no athlete." I smile and offer him some nachos.

"You must be one of the staple bench warmers," I say.

"Hey somebody has to keep these benches warm."

"That just sounds kinda gross," I scrunch up my nose.

"What brings you here?" he asks.

"My beau." I point to Cloud on the field.

"Why are you sitting way up here?"

"I wanted a throne to myself."

"Of course. How are you supposed to take good pictures?"

I pull out a long lens. "They don't make these for nothing." I snap a picture and show it to Van.

"Damn that's some good detail," he comments. You could make out each players face and uniform as clear as day.

"Am I talented or what?"

"I was talking about the camera."

"Uh, rude." I take another bite of my nachos.

By now the game has started. I didn't know much about soccer other than it seemed to go on forever and the players required a lot of stamina.

"Where's the duo to your trio?" Vanitas asks me.

"Kairi is at a JV basketball game the next town over. Yuffie was sparring with some Freshmen the last time I saw her."

"I hope for their sake she takes it easy on them. She can really pack a punch."

"Really?"

"Yeah I have a bruise from last week." He rolls up his sleeve some to show me a fist sized purple mark.

"What's that from?"

"Practicing martial arts."

"Och," I touch the bruise lightly. "Sorry for your loss."

"What loss?" he asks.

"Of your skin pigment."

He chuckles before returning his attention to the field.

"I told you not to indulge her but you wouldn't listen."

"I thought it would be fun."

"Aww, look at you coming out of your comfort zone."

"Only to be beaten up."

"Don't be such a girl," I say before punching his arm.

"Ow Namine."

"Oh sorry, I forgot." I offer him some gummy worms to soften the blow.

"You'll be the death of me," he says before taking a handful of blue and red worms.

I take a moment to stare at him in slight shock of his words.

In a low voice I say, "River Song said that just before she died."

"Oh, you're a Doctor Who fan? I wouldn't've guessed it."

I stay quiet and wait for him to acknowledge what I said.

Van sneaks a glance from the corner of his eye. "I promise I won't say that again."

"Good, now eat up. We've got a long game ahead of us."

And I was right. The game was two hours long but it seemed like it would never end. Players racing back and forth up and down the grassy field. One player stole the ball and handed it off to his team mate who scored or lost it to the opposing team. Soccer had to be one of the most boring sports I'd ever watched. But for Cloud I would sit through this boring mess.

The Bulldogs win 5 to 2. At the end of the game the team is cheering and high fiving each other on the field. Afterwards the guys dog pile on top of each other. I shake my head at this. I'll never understand some of the things guys do.

I packed up my belongings and I bid Vanitas adieu. He'd had enough social interaction for the night. When the team hit the showers I sat around at the bottom of the bleachers to wait for Cloud. We'd seen each other in passing at school or hung out a short while after classes ended. But I hadn't had a chance to see him much this week. And texting did not count as communication.

One by one the players make their way out of gym doors and Cloud makes his way over to me.

I take in his refreshing scent. It was a crisp and green like spring.

"Great game."

"Thanks."

"And I've got the pictures to prove it."

"Oh you can just make me the star of your article."

"I'm sure I can find some other heartthrob to focus on. Our student body will definitely eat that up."

"I'm a heart throb now?" he picks up two of my bags.

"Well you know if some people are into that kind of thing."

By now we've made it to his car. His sweet sweet car. Man what I wouldn't give to have one of these in midnight blue. With a-

"Namine did you hear me?"

"Mm?" I wasn't paying attention.

"Some of the guys are heading out for pizza. Wanna come?"

"Yeah of course."

The pizzeria was alive with the student body of Yonkers High. Accompanying the soccer team were their loyal band of fans. They would definitely make their sales in tonight. Each table had about three pizzas heading their way. Not including garlic knots and the other wonderful delicacies that came with pizza.

"And keep 'em coming," Ventus says to the waiter. He was part of the JV team but he decided to tag along.

We talked about the nearing end of the sports season and the upcoming dreadful midterms. Most of us were sad about both. Although playing on a team is hard work, it was always fun. It's like you build a family with your teammates. And getting to travel to different towns was always a plus.

No one was looking forwards to the impending testing season.

"You ready? Cause I'm not ready."

"I'd rather eat a frog."

"We're supposed to dissect one next week. You can have that one."

"What about you Nam?"

"Well two of my classes are supplemental," I reply.

"Aww you have it easy. I've got all core classes," Tidus says.

"Start studying now," someone says.

He chuckles. "Not my strong suit. I'll just sit next to someone smart."

We all laugh at his plan.

With a full stomachs and smiles on our faces, Cloud and I leave the pizzeria.

He drives me back to my house at a much slower pace, wanting to savor our time together.

It was a different experience getting to see him in a crowd. I've only had him to myself, isolated from everyone else. It was a nice change.

0.0

_BGM: She's a Rebel – Green Day_

"I told you I wouldn't miss the next game." I hand Riku a bag of caramel squares. They were definitely a weakness for him.

"Tryin to fatten me up?" he asks after taking one out of the bag.

"Yup so I'll have something nice when I set you in the oven. Now go, confront the problem! Fight, win!"

Riku places the bag in his locker and faces me.

"And come back darling I really enjoy our visits."

"Namine go find your seat."

I laugh manically. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

With a hand pressed against my back Riku tries to shoo me out of the locker room. "You know you probably shouldn't be back here."

"Whatever. Nothing I haven't seen before." I turn to face him. "Are you excited that the season has finally picked up?" I change topics.

"Um not really." He crosses his arms. "Practice has been brutal lately and more often. Can't say I didn't enjoy lounging around."

"You're gonna miss it when it's gone."

"Yeah I guess. I definitely won't miss going home sweaty. I need to finish getting ready."

"Alright. Go do your weird tribal chant before the game."

"It's not a chant. It's a-"

But I had left the locker room before I could hear the end of his sentence. The gym was packed, per usual of basketball games. Most of our sports teams were good, but basketball took the cake. In a three tiered, professional icing styled way.

I take a seat next to Selphie.

"You got the popcorn?"

"Yeah but not for you," Selphie replies.

Concession stands were my favorite part of high school games. It made them all the more enticing.

"What happened to sharing is caring?"

"It can go to hell. I'm trying to attract someone's attention." I could tell. Selphie was wearing a short skirt and a yellow halter top. I gave her points for braving that outfit in this weather.

"I didn't know there was a seductive way to eat popcorn."

"Well make a sport of it cause I'm about to break records."

"With all that grease on your hands?"

"Napkins, Nami. That's what they're for."

"No that's what my jeans are for."

"Ew," she mutters before slowly chewing on a kernel.

"So who's the guy this week?" I ask her.

"Leon."

"You know he's dating Aqua."

"Are you kidding me?" She almost knocks down the popcorn but I save it. "I'm on _top_ of the gossip food chain."

"Well I thought so." I take a handful of her popcorn.

"When did this happen?"

I shrug. "I dunno. Like yesterday I saw them all up close and personal."

The wooden bleachers are filled with our classmates. Some of our friends take seats around us.

"I knew I should've worn that dress," she says more to herself.

"Wait a sec. Weren't you with that guy at your party-"

"Old news," she waves me away. "Besides I couldn't tell my shoes from my face. It doesn't count."

"Whatever you say Selph."

We cheer as our basketball team makes their way onto the court. The other team had been waiting on the sidelines at the other side of the court so we had a chance to check them out. Nothing too impressive.

After some warm-ups the game starts. It was an intense battle between both teams. I thought volleyball was brutal, but there was something about all that testosterone being on one court that brought out animals in their players. We were down 14 to 25 when halftime came around.

As on cue, the cheer squad strolls their way onto the court. The music starts and Rinoa leads her squad through an upbeat routine.

"Hey I recognize this song," Selphie says.

"I think I helped choreograph this one," I say.

It was a saucy little dance and got the crowd going.

"Go Kairi. Shake what ya momma gave ya," I call from my seat.

I could see her face turn red from where I was sitting as she turned around to continue the choreo.

"You really know how to put people on the spot Dollface," Axel says from above me.

"She loves it. She just doesn't know it yet."

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Lose You – Kat Dahlia ft. Candy Warhol_

I was in charge of the volleyball practice that Friday afternoon so I went easy on the team and cut it short. I knew the championship games were near but there was no need to work the team to death. And I wanted time to relax.

For a good while Vanitas and I practice some acro in my living room. I had done some research myself and found some cool moves that we could try. And for about an hour Vanitas indulged my curiosity before I slipped on a ninja star.

"Dammit Yuffie!" I cry out.

"I didn't do it whatever it is," I hear her call from our bedroom.

"How could you miss that?" Van asks with a laugh. "It's shiny and-"

"Shut it before I call her to beat you up."

Reluctantly he helps me off the ground.

And now we're sitting on my couch sharing snacks and flipping through the movie channels. After a tussle of popcorn and words, we finally settle on something.

"He needs him eight soldiers," I say in a country accent.

"Yes as a bushwhacking army. To kill them Natzis," Van replies.

We continue to watch Brad Pitt give his squad a pep talk.

"He wants those scalps."

"From ALL those Natzis."

I shake the box of Raisinettes until some fall into my hand.

"I knew this would be a great movie," I say.

"Well duh. Tarintino made it," Van replies.

"I didn't even know that. I wouldn't've hesitated to watch it if I'd known he'd made it."

Van takes some popcorn from the bowl between us.

"This is much better than going to the movies."

"Yeah you have a kick ass surround system," he says.

"Courtesy of my dad."

We continue watching Brad Pitt talk about his unruly group of vindicators.

"See this is why his movies are great." Van was referring to the introduction of Hugo Stiglitz.

"Exactly. You get me man." I lightly punch his shoulder.

"Hey what would you do if someone beat you with a club?" I ask Van.

"Before or after the beating?"

I think for a moment. "Um after."

"Well they better hope I die in the process because they're as good as dead when I get off the ground."

That's pretty reasonable.

"I can't see how he's eating while they're shooting them," I say.

"Actually that reminds me of you a bit. You can eat through anything."

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or to be offended. But because it's Brad Pitt and he's an amazing actor I'll take it as good."

In that short amount of time I had figured that Vanitas and I would never make it to the theaters. We'd be those people who talk throughout the entire film, commenting on the bad acting, or the original plot of the book, before being thrown out of the theater. Yeah I'll settle for my couch.

Vanitas interrupts the silence. "You know this is very similar to _Pulp Fiction_."

"I never really caught on to that til you mentioned it."

"It's nice how everything is being tied together."

"Mmhmm."

I liked hanging out with Vanitas as strange as it sounded. On the regular we would only see each other when our families had dinner together or there was a pool party or we were setting off fireworks in July. We saw and spoke to each other at school in passing, but never made an effort to go out of the way.

Lately I was seeing more of him because of our zeal for dance; twice a week with Mulan and randomly when we wanted to practice some dance moves.

Movie watching was a new area for us. Though Yuffie had been bugging him to spar so she could brush up on her karate, we'd been 'bonding' more. Mulan said that trust was key in a dance partner's relationship and if bonding over Tarantino movies didn't do the trick, I'm not sure what would.

Today was a nice lazy day. For once, my homework was complete before the weekend started. Kairi had roped Yuffie into doing something for her, which quieted them upstairs. Mom was working a late shift. And I didn't have any plans with Cloud. I think he said he was working or babysitting. I couldn't really remember.

Towards the end of the movie where Emmanuel is hosting her movie screening at her theater I get a text.

_**Cloud**_

I tap on the little envelope.

_Hey babe_

_Hey_ I respond. I could feel my face flush a little.

_Turns out my awesome babysitting skills weren't need for the entire night _he responds.

_Why, what happened? _I ask.

_My aunt got drunk and they had to leave their dinner_

I laugh out loud at this and Vanitas gives me a strange look. I show him the text and he chuckles.

I try to sound consoling as I respond. _Oh, is she ok?_

_Yeah. one less bottle of chardonnay for the world to handle_

_Hah ok. So whatsup?_

_I wanted to know if you were busy. Maybe we can catch a movie_

I look at the time. It was 6:10. Well I guess.

_Yeah I could get out of the house._

I return to the movie happily and watch as the theater is burned.

_Great. Pick you up in an hour._

I wasn't planning on telling Van to leave anytime soon but he must've been reading my texts.

"I'll make myself scarce."

"What, the movie's not done." I was very strict about finishing any movie I started watching.

"Yeah yeah, I'll be fine. Go entertain your man candy."

"I don't have comeback for that."

"Good that was my intention."

"Until next time soldier." I hold up my hand to salute him and Van returns the gesture.

"See ya later." Vanitas leaves with my box of Raisinettes.

I spend a moment on the couch, basking in the calmness of my time with Vanitas. It was a nice wind down from the week.

I finish watching the last ten minutes of the movie before shutting off the TV and getting ready for my date.

0.0

Our date was calm and cute. Cloud took us to a petting zoo. Definitely not my first choice in the dating scene but those animals were _adorable_. And I got to feed a baby lamb with a bottle. How _Little House on the Prairie_ is that?

As fun as our spur of the moment outing was it could've never prepared me for Saturday morning.

"Come on you've got it!"

"Keep your guard up Sarah."

"Excellent serve," Tifa calls from the sidelines.

There was about fifteen minutes left of the game and we were up by five points. It was always best to keep it that way.

I was on the sidelines taking a drink. I didn't think this game would be so grueling. The last time we played the Tigers they didn't score at all. Now they were catching up a little too quickly.

Our team was fairing great considering some of our key players had graduated. Our season was a breeze, well to me at least. We had been working a little harder and I attribute that to shaping up the newcomers. JV had it a little easy, although I made sure Varsity was in check. But this season was almost over and we only had a handful of games left.

"Hey coach," I call to Aunt Tifa.

"What's up Nam?"

"Put me back in."

I was sure as hell that the championship trophy would look great in the volleyball room.

* * *

**So how was it? *waggles eyebrows***

**I'm just glad to have this chapter out. Between work, being sick, and my computer slowly dying on me I'm ecstatic to be able to work on this story.**

**Lemme know what you think :3**

_Sook_


	22. On to the Festivities

So I have no excuse for how late this is. But I do have a reason: I've just not had the time. But on a good note this will be out before Halloween irl. Look at me being ahead of schedule (not really) and whatnot :D

* * *

Recap: (because you probably have no idea what's going on at this point)

**We enjoyed our weekend with our dad**

_It was a lot of take out and a lot of catching up. He treats us to breakfast before school._

**Riku questions my judgment about Cloud and I's relationship**

"_All I know is that we're together," I say._

"_He might feel differently about it," Riku replies. "What if he wants more?"_

**I take pictures at Cloud's soccer game**

"_I missed you this weekend."_

"_I'm sure you did," I kiss him lightly on the mouth._

**My friends and I support Riku's bball game**

"_Alright. Go do your weird tribal chant before the game," I tell him._

_**There was something about all that testosterone being on one court that brought out the animals in the players.**_

**Van and I spend some one on one time with Tarintino**

"_This is much better than going to the movies."_

"_Yeah you have a kick ass surround system," he says._

**And finally I arrive at one of the pre-championship games for volleyball**

_There was about fifteen minutes left of the game and we were up by five points._

**I swear sports might be the death of me**

* * *

**Chapter 19: On to the Festivities**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Red Right Hand – Arctic Monkeys_

Close to the soccer field of our school, there was an average sized park. Natural wear and tear was evident from years of entertaining elementary aged children. Once the school underwent construction for Yonkers High to be built, it was sort of forgotten. Principal Ansem said it was a perfect spot for the bake sale and it would fit perfectly amongst our normal Halloween setup.

We were doing this early, but it was the only good time. Everyone would be at their own parties or trick or treating come Halloween day.

And the booth was being put together as we speak.

"Did you get those brownies?" Mr. Skellington asks. He was done up in a simple black suit and skeleton makeup decorated his face and hands.

I hand over a large foil pan. He was setting up the bake sale tables long with a few students from the Leadership Program and his Home Ec classes. The students were working diligently to get things ready for tonight. There were purple and black streamers adorning the tops of the booth. Cut out pumpkins and bats were pasted ornamentally on the sides and poles of the tables.

They trusted me to deliver the goods and preferred to set up on their own, but they were watching me closely. I couldn't help it if I had a serious sweet tooth and some things went missing.

Mr. Skellington peels back the foil to take a look at the baked goods.

"Namine, why does there look like there are a few missing from here?"

I might have swiped a few.

"Some goblins stole them?" I shrug.

"Namine _please_ bring those eyeballs and bats," Mr. Skellington almost pleads. "And no more snacking." He shoos me away from the rest of the sweets.

When I'm clear out of sight, I reach into my shirt and pull a warm brownie out of my bra. They really worked well as pockets. And I couldn't help it. I was a sucker for chocolate. I would just call this payment for my services.

I begin my route back to the school's kitchens to retrieve the rest of the delicious cakes. And just maybe some of the plates would make it untouched.

On my way, I pass Vanitas taking pictures of the rest of the events to come. Certain students were allowed to leave classes early to help prepare for the nights festivities. Most of the teachers had a small part in the Halloween Festival anyways, so classes were cut short.

"You and your Bruce Lee kicks," Van calls over to me once he spots me.

"Hey, don't hate me cause you ain't me," I reply. It was getting too chilly to wear sandals so I settled for a pair of beige knock off Keds for the evening's affairs. They went well with my mummy get up. Gold jewelry adorned my hands and head, though half of my face was wrapped in light muslin. I wore white pants with some muslin wrapped fashionably around each leg. Only my torso was free, donning a stylish tunic.

"Your costume is supposed to be what?" I ask him.

Vanitas was wearing a long sleeved white flannel with a black and white checkered bandana around his neck and black jeans.

"Myself."

"How original."

"I checked out of class early to-"

"Get out of class early." I knew he wanted out of class as much as I did.

"No. I was gonna say to assist the yearbook and newspaper clubs."

"That's a load of bull shit if I ever did hear some."

"Where are you headed?" he changes the topic.

"Back to the cafeteria. There's a bunch more baked goods that need to come out here."

"And they trusted you with this because?"

"I'm trustworthy, duh. Wanna help me?"

"I have a feeling like you're not really giving me an option."

"Of course not. Let's get to work."

We reach the kitchen doors just in time to see a small pot sail through the doorway. In that moment I was glad I wasn't in a rush to the kitchens.

Vanitas and I glance at each other before approaching the doors with trepidation.

"You put too much vanilla!" I could hear Brian, one of the cooks yelling.

"No I did not!" Jacques yells back.

"Now all they will taste is Tahitian spice."

"No, they will taste the rich and flavorful chocolate. And besides they won't care because there is a well decorated eye looking back at them."

I really hated walking into confrontation but I needed to finish setting up the pastries.

"As much as I'd like to see you fight to the death, we have more important things going on," I interrupt.

I look around for the rest of the goods and spot some on a nearby counter. There were some vanilla and strawberry cupcakes with bats painted on or slime oozing out of the center.

Vanitas picks one up and takes a bite.

"It tastes good," he says between bites.

Jacques makes an I-told-you-so face at Brian. The other cook just glares and walks back into the kitchen. Hopefully they won't poison each other before the day is over.

"I keep telling myself just six more hours," he says to himself before walking off in the opposite direction.

Vanitas and I pick up some containers and slowly make our way to the bake sale table.

"You seem to be enjoying this bake sale thing."

"Yeah I helped make a lot of the cakes. I thought the vanilla extract would be a nice touch."

"There's a bit too much in there."

I scoff. "Says you."

He nods. "It could do with a teaspoon less."

"Alright you ungrateful twit. See if I ever bake you cupcakes again."

We make it to the bake sale booth without losing anymore oozing eyes and Mr. Skellington thanks us.

* * *

_BGM: Roxanne – The Police_

After placing down the pastries, Van leaves me and I explore on my own. I had spent most of my time helping in the kitchen so this would be my first run through of the completed Halloween fair.

We started setting up everything that could be done ahead of time on Wednesday. Little by little today, things were slowly put together. There was a decent sized stage in the center of the park. Near the jungle gym were little crafts that the art classes put together. There were some nice pieces of jewelry while others opted for abstract dark art pieces.

I spot the cheerleaders close to the stage. Rinoa and the rest of the cheer squad were prepping last minute moves. I wave to her as I walk by.

I take a second to check out the arts and crafts area. The students really put their best into this work. There were simple paintings of landscapes: a tree in the middle of a field, two skeleton lovers doing a dance, a ghost leaving a chimney. The little crafts were of cute ghosts or pumpkins. Vases, dolls, crystal balls, and other little knickknacks decorated the tables. I pick up a little trinket and hand a girl at the booth money in exchange.

Leaving the jungle gym area I walk closer to the soccer field. Here is where they've decided to set up the haunted house. A shiver runs down my spine in double time. Axel, Zexion, Riku, Paine, and Larxene were in charge of it and it gave me a fright just imagining what they had planned.

"Is everything good?" I ask tentatively.

"Yup. We're just adding a few finishing touches," Riku speaks up. "Zexion and Paine are inside right now."

"Cool."

"I actually need to get some fake blood. See ya later." With that Riku races off.

"What's up L?"

Larxene was leaning casually against the wall of the building. She was dressed like Harley Quinn, with tight leather pants and a red and black checkered corset top.

"Nothing much. You missed all of the fun earlier though. Nearly made Axel wet his pants."

I laugh. "That would've been a sight. But tell me, how are things between you." I know I promised that I wouldn't pry, but I couldn't help it. They were both close friends and I wanted to see them work things out. Even though they were insane.

"Axel has been dancing around me like I'm lit on fire or something. I'm still pissed at him. That much hasn't changed."

"Uh…well-"

"I haven't spoken to him unless it was completely necessary."

"And how did that go over, working on the haunted house?" I ask. "It sounds like it was difficult."

"You tellin' me. Zexion nearly caught his jacket on fire."

_Oh God._ "Well the worst is over. After today you won't have to worry too much about him."

"No I won't. But if that fucker messes with me I'll saw his arm off." Larxene pulls a chainsaw from underneath a table. A cold droplet of sweat runs down my face.

"Um L, can you keep the dramatics to a minimum? There are strangers coming here, they would like to fill our school's pockets, and I don't want anything to jeopardize that." I was lying a bit, but there _was_ a possibility that things with that gallery owner would pan out.

"And you're scaring me a bit. The school's insurance probably won't cover anything you're thinking of doing either."

She lets out a breath in exasperation and sets the chainsaw down.

I breathe a sigh of relief. _Axel better thank me._ "Where did you get that from anyways?"

"The school's shed," she answers nonchalantly.

My words catch in my throat. _What?!_

"I just remembered something I have to check on. See ya."

_Oh my God_. I pick up my pace as I sprint away from the haunted house. I hoped everything would turn out okay and there wouldn't be any ambulance appearances.

* * *

_BGM: Good For You – Selena Gomez ft. A$AP Rocky (Nebbra Remix)_

Once the last bell for class rang the fair was filled with students and teachers. And within the next hour it was packed; everyone looked like they were reveling in the cool afternoon festivities. Usually this little fair brought many people in, but this year there were many new faces. I was surprised at the turnout of adults. The only grown-ups our fair attracted were parents, but there was a different crowd mingled in amongst them. Some looked to be in their early 20s, some their mid 30s, others I couldn't really tell by the odd way they dressed. Most of them were flocked around the arts and crafts table. Ms. Powahtan was doing a great job in leading the conversations and sales. Turns out Clio liked what she heard and sent her friends our way.

I was paying for green cupcake when a set of hands shielded my eyes.

"I hope you're not gonna steal this. I'm dying for some sugar."

"Well I can help you with that."

My eyes were met with afternoon light as the hands left my face and my lips were graced with a kiss as smooth as butter. I smile into the kiss just as he pulls away slowly. Cloud links his arm with mine and we take to strolling through the fair.

"I heard Axel and Larxene outdid themselves on the haunted house this year. Wanna go?" he asks.

I feel my blood run cold. "No, I don't do haunted houses." I had a bad experience with those attractions. And I didn't want to see if Larxene would put that chain saw to use.

He laughs. "Alright. Wanna check out what play is on?"

"Sure," I smile.

There was a short schedule of plays being done every so often. We sat and watched two skits. We were a strange sight, seeing as small children were occupying most of the audience for the beginning acts. I didn't really mind but I could tell that Cloud felt out of place. We took off shortly after to see what else the fair had to offer.

There were games like bobbing for fruit.

"The one who with gets the poisoned fruit gets the reward," the lady dressed like a witch calls out.

Nice tables with refreshments.

"Drink this and your true love will find you within a fortnight," a girl says in a bad English accent. She is dressed in a green medieval dress and hands me over a cup with pink liquid.

"This is just Fanta." I look into the cup after taking a sip.

"Don't be a killjoy Nami," Selphie whines. "Next person! Who else wants a love potion?"

The food was interesting.

"It's a fried toad. Just caught it earlier," Sora says with confidence. He's dressed in a sickly green costume.

"It looks like chicken," Cloud says.

"It looks like the mystery meat in the cafeteria," I mumble. "And you're dressed like a frog. Isn't this like cannibalism or something?"

"Survival of the fittest. Just taste it and see," Sora says from behind the table.

"I don't trust that."

"Why?"

"Because you'll eat anything."

He starts to say something and abruptly stops himself.

"Just take this." He hands me a plate with noodles and meatballs.

"Thank you kindly sir."

Once Cloud and I got our plates of food we found seats on the grass. We talked about our last date and how we should plan another one before midterms started.

I had a mental image of him based on what others said and my short encounters with him, so it was refreshing to see him up and close. Since we were 'dating' I was hoping to see a different side of him. It didn't really seem like there was any contrast from how he interacted with others.

Don't get me wrong, he was sweet and thoughtful but I was searching for a bit more than the usual. I _knew_ it was hiding somewhere; I just had to find it.

We continued to eat until I was on my last bite of cheese and my sisters showed up. I discarded our plates and we found ourselves venturing back towards the stage.

At this point there was a costume contest going on. The crowd decided, by their cheering, who wore what best. There weren't really any rules. But whoever won would get a free dinner with a guest at a restaurant of their choice.

After about thirty minutes, and ten sexy witch getups later, a winner was chosen. A sophomore dressed like Pippy Longstockings won the competition. I thought it was an adorably creative outfit with her patchwork dress and short pigtails. As the crowd cheered for her, a small paper crown was placed on her head and she was given a small gift card of some kind. As she exited the stage her friends grouped around her in congratulations.

I turned away from the display and set my gaze on Cloud.

_What else could we possibly do to entertain ourselves?_

Being the last show for the night, everyone would now place their attention on the food and games. And I was curious to see what else was going on.

"Let's check out the magician's table," Cloud suggests.

There was no protest from me as we left our seats. We wandered around the crafts and games until a purple draped table came into view.

"I wonder who's in charge of it this year," I question aloud.

"Hopefully it's not Yen Sid. He caught the place on fire last year."

"Oh I remember that," I laugh. Riku had volunteered to assist him and wasn't too happy when the chemicals landed on his new shoes.

Rikku was leading the magic show this time. She had a high bun and was decked out in a sparkly green suit. It looked like she was picking someone from the audience to be her next victim.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun Simba." It looked like she was running the show by herself. She moved quick as lightning from behind the counter and grabbed a dirty blonde kid by his arm. Dragging him next to one of the props, she threw him into a box and shut the door.

"I will make him disappear from your very eyes." With a flick of her wrist a wand appears.

"You okay in there?" she asks Simba.

"Yeah just great," comes his muffled reply.

"Veni veni viche." Rikku taps the box with each word.

After a breath she opens the door to reveal an empty space.

"Look at that, it worked," I say quietly.

She closes the door and continues. "Now to bring him back." Rikku says some words in the same fashion and reopens the door.

It was still empty.

"Where'd Simba go?" a girl in the small crowd asks.

"Oh no…" She looks back to the audience in a panic.

"Um I'm stuck," we hear Simba's voice.

"Not again," Rikku says more to herself. She walks into the box and starts tapping the walls and floor.

"Rikku get me out of here!" he cries again.

"I'm trying!" she yells in frustration.

Ten minutes of hearing her argue with an invisible person pass by before I grow a bit concerned.

She rubs a hand across her forehead in exasperation. "Well I…" With a sigh, Rikku exits the box and slams it with finality.

She picks back up. "On to the next trick."

* * *

I had stayed behind to help clean up, a.k.a. eat the leftover cake, and was getting the last foil pans when Selphie came racing towards me.

"So they're doing a special because Halloween is close."

"Who-"

"We can get tickets super cheap and I have a sweet hookup to skip the lines."

"Okay what are you talking about? Calm down and give me the deats."

"Six Flags of course. Scream fest here we come!" She takes off.

Well I could do with a break. We had two games earlier this week and dance has been making my muscles ache.

At this point Selphie was making her way to our group of friends, telling them about this upcoming event.

"Theme park!" I see Tidus fist pump the air.

Well yeah I guess this was happening.

I would let Selphie take care of all the planning. I just wanted be along for the ride. It would be nice to hang out with my friends…and maybe Cloud.

I thought back to my mini dates with him. Though we hadn't really spent long periods of time with each other I could feel a strange warmth creeping into my stomach at the thought of seeing him.

I sigh and turn to Vanitas who was picking up a tray of sugar cookies.

"You have any plans this weekend?"

"Screamfest?" he says.

"Yeah."

"Selphie didn't really give me a choice. And now that Sora and Ven are going guess who's their ride?"

I chuckle at his reluctance to go. "It'll do you some good to get out of that dungeon of yours."

"I get enough social interaction at school and at dinner thank you very much."

"Says you," I reply.

* * *

_BGM: Don't You Know Who I Think I Am? – Fall Out Boy_

Six Flags was a bit out of our price range and it was a long drive to the location in New Jersey. So we settled for the next best thing.

Playland had just as many rides and attractions, minus the long lines. And it was still in the state of New York. After class on Friday, our group of rambunctious teens raced to the parking lot to their cars or hitched a ride with someone. Cloud and I were among the first to reach the park. I was bouncing in my seat through most of the drive to the amusement park.

You could say that I was a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

In our little rag tag gang were myself, Cloud, Kairi, Yuffie, Roxas, Sora, Ventus, Riku, Tidus, Rinoa, Axel and Selphie. We all waited a little longer for Vanitas to arrive. He was courteous enough to pick his little sister, Xion, up from school and bring her along.

I was sporting a pair of pink Bermuda shorts and a sleeveless navy and white striped shirt. I had tied my wavy hair into a fishtail braid and settled for no makeup today. I took my theme-parking very seriously.

It was early in October but still warm enough not to need a jacket. The afternoon air was cool like sea breeze and the sun cast gentle warm rays on us. It was a perfect day.

As soon as we passed the ticket stand I challenged Cloud to go-karting. While the rest of the group went off on some other kiddie rides, myself, Cloud, Vanitas, and Xion raced to pick out the perfect car.

"Let's see who wins," I say competitively.

The ride was set up so whenever you hit another go kart with, you got a point which showed up on your screen. When you were hit by another person, you lost a point.

It was a whir of colors, rock music, and laughter. Each go-kart would make a resounding _boink_ once it hit another car, resulting in more laughter from me and Xion. The fast paced speed trap sated our need for an adrenaline rush.

The ride ended with a jolt and we eased ourselves out of the karts.

As promised, I beat Cloud, even though it was only by five points. And Van was right behind me. Sadly, Xion dominated all of us with a whapping 45 points.

"How did you manage to beat all of us?" Cloud asks.

"Because my hand eye coordination is better than yours," Xion says.

"I doubt that," Van replies.

"I've experienced your actual driving," I say. "I don't know how they gave you a license."

We all laugh.

"So as the winner," Xion starts, "I pick the next ride." For a six year old, she was sure demanding. I liked her.

And I didn't argue with her decision. It sounded fair enough. We start walking around the park waiting for Xion to choose something. Vanitas picks up some candy for her to snack on.

Halfway through her purple cotton candy she spots a simple ride: The Wipeout.

I notice Cloud and Vanitas pale a little at her choice of adventure.

I didn't see where their fright came from. It was just a set of carriages you sat in that lifted into the air and spun. At a very fast speed. Then slowed down to spin in the other direction.

"Um, how about another one," Vanitas suggests.

"Nope. I wanna go on this one." Xion was determined.

Well she was too short to go by herself. She'd need an adult.

"I volunteer as tribute!" I say.

"You'll go with me?" Xion looks up to me in question.

"Calm down Katniss," Van says to me.

"Yeah I'll go. I love this ride."

"If she throws up, it's all on you," Van warns.

"I'll just point her in your direction," I say. "We'll find you chickens later." I wink to the boys and turn around to make my way up to the ride.

Xion grips my hand and excitingly pulls me along.

"I like this blue one." I let Xion get in the carriage first and I slide in beside her.

From her seat she waves to her brother. I pull the safety bar down just as she calls out to him, "Can you get me some cotton candy after this?"

She is so cute.

"No," comes his clipped reply.

She sticks a tongue out at him. "Boo you yellow belly baby."

I openly laugh along with Xion at Vanitas' expression.

Yeah today was pretty great.

* * *

"I don't think that last one was a good idea."

We had been around the park at least three times, not including the games were stopped to play. I for one was really getting my money's worth. Cloud had won me a cute stuffed polar bear that I was toting around.

We just got off of Sky Flyer which looked amazing from the ground view. It was almost like a ferris wheel. Except there were seatbelts and it took you upside down at an amazing speed.

I definitely shouldn't have eaten before getting on. I could feel the strawberry funnel cake whirring like a tsunami in the depths of my stomach.

I hold my abdomen and lean against a wall.

"That corndog is makin its way up?" Van asks.

"I think so," I nod. On top of going on every single ride in Playland I had also been eating nonstop. Not my smartest move to date.

I feel a warm hand on my back, slowly rubbing circles. It's slightly soothing.

"Here you can have the rest." Van hands me a water bottle.

"Thanks."

"Where's your date? He should be here doing this."

After taking a big gulp I say, "Oh be quiet."

What Van was saying _was_ true. Where the hell was Cloud? He should've been at the least concerned and feeding me ginger ale. I hated the nasty low fizz drink, but the offer would have been nice all the same.

I look around for our friends and siblings. It's hard to pick out a group of teens in the heavy crowd of lively people. And after a while of searching I spot Cloud laughing with Ventus.

I grunt and close my eyes.

_You can make it. You have a stomach made of steel._

My stomach settles as we make our way to one last ride.

"Namine I swear to God if you throw up on me-" Ventus starts.

"Oh put a sock in it," I say. "My stomach is fine." It gurgles a little just to defy me.

"Ok, since bubble guts-" Sora says to me.

"Hey!"

"-can't keep her food down why don't we try that one." He points to a carousel.

"Ok even I know that's a baby ride," Xion states.

"What about that windmill thingy?" Riku suggests.

"Ok how about you guys do that and I'll just eat some funnel cake," I say. At this point I think my stomach had rendered me to stay grounded.

"If we get split up again just meet back at the entrance," Selphie says.

"Which one?" Van asks.

"Oh the one with the slushy machine?" I ask.

"Yes, the one with the food, Namine," Selphie deadpans. I smile in response.

"I wanna go on the dragon coaster again," Rinoa says.

"Me too," Sora says.

"Well the line for the Whip is shorter. Bye." With that my sisters run off.

As the group splits up one last time, Cloud and I make our way over to the Gondola Wheel. It's just like the Ferris wheel, only without the seats. It was like a huge hamster ball with glass windows and a great view. Cloud makes no protest as I lead him towards the ride.

Once the gondola lifts off the ground I take a minute to admire the view. "It's so pretty."

Cloud nods in response. "You can see everything from up here."

"Everything is so small," I comment. It looks like we are part of a, "Paper town." I turn to look at Cloud. "With all of its paper rides and paper people."

"Huh? Paper what?" he asks.

I sigh to myself. "Nothing."

Cloud leisurely drapes his arm around my shoulder enveloping me in comfortable warmth. My insides tingle. I hoped that hotdog was going to stay where I put it.

"Gad you decided not to go on anymore rides," he says.

"So I don't spew chunks?"

"No, so I can be alone with you."

I reach up to place a kiss on his lips.

"Sounds good to me."

We must've spent twenty minutes just basking in each other's company. The gondola was wonderful for staring at the fair below. Everyone was strolling about in the evening sun. The cries of laughter and excitement from the rides drifted up to us in the sky. And amongst all the hustle and bustle we were making out.

After our seemingly endless ride ends, Cloud and I exit the gondola hand in hand. We continue at a snail's pace as we walk to the slushy machines and wait for the rest of our friends.

It doesn't take too long for everyone to meet up.

"Did you have fun?" I ask as Xion gets into my view.

"Yeah, I went with Roxas on Ye Old Mill and he nearly peed his pants!" Xion bursts out laughing.

"Ugh Xion stop saying that."

"You did look pale when you came outta there," Van comments.

"Yeah more pale than Van," Selphie comments.

"I wanna go on it again!" Xion says.

"No! Please no," Roxas begs.

* * *

**Namine's mummy outfit is on my Polyvore. You can find the link on my profile. I swear in another life I could've been an awesome fashion consultant.**

**Hope you liked it :3**

_Sook_


	23. Hold Me Like I'm Your Only

So this one is going to be a little light. I might have crammed too much in the last chapter. This _should_ cool things down a bit.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything but the plotline. Though if I owned KH or FF I would get a lot of hate. The slow updates would make the fandoms go into a riot.

* * *

Recap:

**It's that time of the year again and we have everything set up for the Halloween fair**

_Mr. Skellington was setting up the bake sale tables long with a few students from the Leadership Program and his Home Ec classes. The students were working diligently to get things ready for tonight._

**Vanitas helps me move all the baked goods**

"_You seem to be enjoying this bake sale thing," he says._

"_Yeah I helped make a lot of the cakes."_

**There was an arts and crafts table, a magic show, plenty of food, skits, and a haunted house. Although I didn't bother with the latter.**

"_If that fucker messes with me I'll saw his arm off." Larxene pulls a chainsaw from underneath a table._

**We take a relaxing trip to Playland**

"_How did you manage to beat all of us?" Cloud asks._

"_Because my hand eye coordination is better than yours," Xion says._

**I overdo it with the combo of rides and food**

"_I'll just eat some funnel cake," I say as my stomach gurgles._

**But it buys me extra time with Cloud**

_Cloud leisurely drapes his arm around my shoulder enveloping me in comfortable warmth. My insides tingle._

**And we were just in time for midterms**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Hold Me Like I'm Your Only**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Chapters – Asha_

Studying was synonymous with student dying. The saying was a bit drastic but it was the truth. Because dying is exactly what it felt like. On average we spend eight hours a day at school, then about four doing homework. This didn't account for after school jobs, being a part of a sport's team, or hanging out with friends.

As if my brain wasn't occupied enough with volleyball championships, fixing up the fundraiser, and figuring out Cloud, now I had to remember everything I'd learned since the beginning of school. Luckily two of my classes required less brain power.

I would have to construct a short dance piece for Mulan's class. We had to choreograph a dance that was two minutes long and used hip hop moves. I had bits and pieces of what I wanted to do but I couldn't narrow down a song and string everything together.

Vanitas and I said that we would help each other out but

"Sorry I'm gonna have to cancel our dance lesson today," I say.

"Fine with me. That gives me time to catch up on some Doctor Who," Vanitas replies.

I was making room for Cloud in my busy schedule. And some things were more important than others.

"I thought you were up to date with Peter Capaldi," I tell him.

"I am. I'm watching the series from the very beginning."

"Oh." He should be occupied for the rest of the day then. "Try Daily Motion. They usually have all of the older episodes. You just have to look for them."

"Okay. Are we still on for Thursday?"

"Yes. I'd like to have my piece for Mulan done as soon as possible. I actually might have sometime after the game on Wednesday. And we can work on your piece too."

"I'm basically done with mine but it could probably use some polishing. Oh and before I forget, Sora said something about you helping him with his math."

"I thought he didn't need help." I think on it for a moment. "Well you know he could actually get help from Kairi."

Kairi was extremely smart and was taking all advanced classes. And I'm sure she could help Sora, the bumbling idiot, with his schoolwork since I wasn't up to the task. I had very low patience and Sora had also said I didn't explain things completely.

"He probably just wants your notes or something."

"We both know that he needs a tutor."

Vanitas shrugs. "Well that's his responsibility."

"Did you practice that short piece for Mulan?" I change the subject.

"Yeah."

"Can you show me quickly before we get on the bus?" I saw the simple moves Mulan showed us, but I had forgotten to practice it. Since dance was a liberal class, we didn't have homework. So assignments like this were vital to our grade.

"You didn't practice it at all," Vanitas says. He knows me well enough to realize this. "See you in class." He walks off to his homeroom.

"So that's a yes?"

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Favorite Record – Fall Out Boy_

"So…" I trail off.

"Yes, so."

"Where are we _going_?" I ask.

"It's a surprise," Cloud replies.

"Can I take a peek?" I was blindfolded and Cloud was driving us to wherever our date was.

As long as he wasn't a serial killer leading me to me death in a dense forest. I made it to 16, which wasn't a very long life span but at least I had a good run.

"Then that'll ruin the surprise."

"How much further?" I ask once the car stops. He helps me out car and closes to door behind me. I felt safe though; Cloud was leading me by the hand. Our intertwined fingers made my heart beat faster.

"Not too far," he reassures me.

I didn't care for surprises. I never liked the feeling of the unexpected. It seemed like we were walking forever but we finally made it to our destination. I felt Cloud move behind me and untie the bandana from around my head.

I blink a few times to clear the darkness from my vision. Laid in front of us on a fresh mowed grass was-

"A picnic!" I say excitingly.

I tuck my skirt underneath me as I take a seat on the fluffy blue blanket.

"I was hoping this could be a work-date." He takes a seat beside me.

Good I was hoping we'd get some work done.

"Do you have any sports pictures to spare? I'd like a few for the sports spread in the yearbook."

"I didn't even realize that you were on the yearbook committee."

"Yeah I do mostly automotive and sports related things."

"Any adorable pics of me?" I ask.

"You'll just have to wait until the yearbook comes out."

"I'll email you what I can."

I pull out my PDA. Through the course of the past few weeks I'd made some notes; most were fleeting thoughts here and there.

"So Mr. Hatter wants to do a hat day," I start. "He didn't name anything specific, he just threw that out there and then ran off to finish some soufflés."

"Well, it sounds like it could be pretty interesting. What would we do though?" Cloud asks.

"That's a very good question." I eat a shortbread cookie while I think on it. I had pulled several items out of the basket by this point.

"Would bobbing for apples be boring?"

"It was fine for Halloween."

"It's a pretty random thing." Cloud lies back on the blanket.

"Maybe we should model it after him, then."

"Puzzles?" he throws out there.

"Strange games like crocket with a rubber chicken?"

"Cake! Lots of cake."

"He likes tea and coffees."

"We can get different flavors."

"All we need is Ansem's approval."

I put down my PDA. "You know, this is fun."

"Planning a bake sale?" he asks.

"Yeah." I turn to look him in the eye. "You make it more interesting." I smile.

"You're interesting to be around. There's honestly not a dull moment with you."

"I'm glad I could be a lively source of entertainment."

Cloud had packed cute little finger sandwiches and tomato basil crackers. I greatly indulged in these.

We went over some math notes. I had taken Cloud's class last year and I thought it would be nice to help him out. And I wanted to gauge his intelligence. I was testing his mental endurance. So far he was smarter than the average Joe.

"What got you involved in soccer?" I ask Cloud.

"My friends mostly. People say that it gets boring running a ball up and down a field. But there's something about running fast as lightning with something desirable. No one can catch up to you because you're outrunning them all."

Ah the competition.

"Well that explains your energy on the field. How do you keep your stamina up?"

We took breaks during our games. And we were moving on the court but stayed stationary for a majority of each game.

"Lots and lots of practice. What got you interested in being captain of the volleyball team?" he asks.

"Well my aunt was a major star in college and then she decided to coach after she graduated. My sisters and I used to spend a lot of time with her when we were younger. Most of it was playing volleyball. And I guess it just stuck with me." I cross an ankle over my leg.

"And I have a bit of a competitive edge," I add with a smirk.

I reach into the basket for something to drink. Those crackers were drying out my mouth.

"Oh what's this?" I pull a bottle out. It was a medium sized bottle labeled _M__artinelli's Gold Medal Sparkling Cider_.

"And some plastic glasses," I muse. I pour some for us and pass Cloud a cup. After capping the bottle I and down half of my glass.

"This is classy," I say.

"Only the best for m'lady." Something stirs in me when he calls me by that endearment. I shake it off.

There must be a little something extra in this drink.

0.0

_BGM: It Was Always You – Maroon 5_

I was lounging on my living room couch in loose shorts and an old sweatshirt. Casually I popped a chip into my mouth and savored the fresh gravy taste. I offer some to Riku, who was sitting on the floor, to which he declines. Not everyone likes Lays new chip flavors.

I had invited him over to help him study a little for our upcoming Human Anatomy exam.

Like a gentleman Cloud drove me back home at a decent time. We could've spent a little longer at the picnic he set up but he was courteous enough to make room for midterm studying. Though I had already a head start on my classes, I wanted to compare notes with Riku.

"Just remember the basics of each system. It's only a few things. And Mr. Acosta is nicer than he looks. His test isn't going to be too difficult."

"Alright, if you think I'm ready then." Riku closes his book and puts it on the coffee table.

We had spent the better part of the day going through flashcards of body parts and subcutaneous layers. Riku was well versed and seemed to remember the majority. I wasn't worried too much about myself. Science was one of my best subjects.

"How was the game last night?" I try to draw attention away from our impending tests.

"We lost," he shrugs. "It was a great season though."

"Glad you had fun."

"You need to bring home the gold now." He was referring to the volleyball team. We were getting there. We had lost one game but the championship game was tomorrow.

"I hope we will." I glance at the clock on the wall. It had gotten late. "Isn't your mom gonna want you home for dinner?"

"This is date night for them," Riku supplies.

"Hmm on a school night, how peculiar. So where's Isa? You leave him home alone?"

"No he's with Axel."

"That's unexpected." Since the start of school Axel took a shine to Isa. Isa was in my group of Freshmen to show around and I guess Axel was around long enough to take a liking to him.

"He already had plans with that fireball," Riku answers me.

"Mmm it's strange how close they are."

"He's not the best influence," he agrees, "but I know he won't end the night by landing them both in jail."

I give Riku a concerned gaze. "You have _a lot_ of faith in Axel." He was always up to something. Sometimes on the illegal side.

"Isa's had nothing but good things to say about him so…"

"On to more important things," I interrupt.

"Like?"

"I mean I haven't gotten anywhere with Cloud."

"Oh."

I sigh discontentedly. "I'm starting to think that there really isn't anything more to him."

"Uh huh."

"I feel a little like I'm wasting time." He smiles and nods again. "And you don't care because you're wrapped up in your love cocoon with Rinoa."

"Yes, yes I am."

"Riku you're no help," I whine.

He puts his phone away. "Look, do you like him?"

I think it over for a minute. "I think he's hot. And he has redeeming qualities like his friendly personality, he's a people person, he's toned from playing soccer. Um he's kind of thoughtful. Yeah I guess I do like him."

"Ok so what exactly is the problem?"

"I haven't reached my objective Silver."

"Oh…" Realization hits him.

"Well?"

He shrugs and I sigh in frustration. "I can either end it now from having gotten nowhere or continue this."

"Namine, do you get butterflies when he's around?"

"Where the hell did that come from?"

"Answer the question."

"I wouldn't call them 'butterflies' but I do feel a little tingly."

"How does it feel when you're around him?"

I take in a deep breath. "I get this warm fuzzy feeling…" I move my hands in a circle trying to articulate my feelings. "Um, it's like my heart is beating a mile a minute sometimes. Though it's not as bad as it was when I was first pursuing him." I run a hand through my hair. "Sometimes I smile to myself thinking about something he said or something we did."

"I see," Riku comments.

"Yeah." I lay my head back down on the couch. "I'm not sure what to make of it yet. I think because he has this angelic look about him, I'm putting my best foot forward to seem just as perfect as he thinks I am. It makes me all the more afraid I'm gonna mess something up."

"Really now?" he looks at me with interest.

I nod. "He's a different breed, that's for sure."

"Is that all you've gathered?"

I think for a moment and say, "Yes."

"You sure?" He looks me directly in the eyes.

"Should I have said something else?"

"Probably. You feelin anything more?"

"Nope." I turn my attention to the game on my phone.

"Oh Namine."

"What?"

"I love you girl but you can be dense sometimes."

"Ok I think this break we took was too long. Back to epidermal abrasions." Riku groans in response.

~0~0~0~

_BGM: All I Really Need – Vindata ft. Kenzie May _

"It was fun," I shrug.

"I'm sure it was," Selphie winks at me.

"He planned this picnic and even had a bottle of apple cider and plastic glasses."

"You seal the deal?" Selphie questions.

"Yeah in his hot ride. I've wondered what it was like in a Camaro," Larxene says.

"I'm not that kind of girl."

"What kind of girl?" Selphie asks.

"To hook up in the backseat of a car." I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I had put on minimal makeup this morning and was trying to finish it up. "I have values that I go by. They're what shaped me into the woman I am today."

"I thought your underwear did that," Selphie says.

I shoot her a deadpan look.

"Oh my God, you two are ridiculous."

"Whatever," she sticks her tongue out at me.

"Why does your hair look uck?" Larxene comments as she lifts a string of my hair.

"You would think with two showers in the house everyone could get ready on time," I start.

Selphie interrupts. "Namine you always spend forever in there."

"No I don't. Anyways everyone was running late, including my mom, which never happens. Then Kairi was complaining about the shower upstairs not having enough water pressure so she stole mine. And I was forced to take all my crap up there to shower and didn't have _time_ to wash my hair."

"Which means the bathroom sink is your shampoo station." Larxene's eyes travel to the sink where I've laid a travel size conditioner.

"Girl this isn't a beauty salon. You should just go to the cosmetology class and have them hook you up," Selphie suggests.

"That's all the way at the trade school."

Selphie shrugs. "Well I tried."

"You really think I shouldn't do it?" I ask tentatively.

"Who knows what goes on in that sink."

I cringe at the thought. "Eh I'm good." I pull my head away from the sink.

"Today is your ugly day. Don't worry, we all have them," Selphie assures me.

"Bitch please. Even on my ugly days I look fly."

"Bitch don't kid yourself," Larxene says.

"I don't look _bad_."

Selphie gives me the once over. "You're pretty put together. Chill outfit bee tee dubs. I'm digging this grunge look on you. But the cool factor kind of ends when I see your hair..."

I sigh and wet my hair a little. After brushing it the best I can I braid my hair and throw it into a bun. "Whatever. This is gonna have to do."

Larxene puts a hand on my shoulder and smiles. "Today is your ugly day."

0.0

We were a mess: sweat drenching eyes like raindrops, aching lower calves as if we'd been running a mile, and dry itchy throats. This was the last game of the season and the turnout of this would end on a good or bad note. Most of the games to date had been moderately challenging, but tonight, we were pushing our bodies to the limit.

We were tied with the Jaguars in a stagnant stalemate. The game had gone into overtime and it seemed like we were never going to end this battle. Countless spikes, dives to save the ball, and quick passes entertained the crowd in a blur. It was becoming tedious to my team and me. But things finally picked up once it was our team's turn to serve again.

It felt surreal. Time seemed to slow to a stop as the ball left Yuffie's hand. I watched as the white and red striped ball flew over the net and towards the opposing server. No one made a move to stop the ball. And when the ball touched the ground it was so close to being out. It looked like it was in the middle of the boundary line. There was a good chance it would be out of bounds. We held our breaths waiting for the referee's decision.

"In!" he called from the sidelines.

I released a breath and cried out "Yes!"

I turned and joined my teammates in the center of the court. Our screams of joy were loud but couldn't be heard over the cheers throughout the entire gym.

After shaking the opposing teams' hands in good sportsmanship manner we all headed to the locker rooms. And what a shame that they had to lose on their own court.

"Let's celebrate!" Sarah says.

"I have a test tomorrow," Yuffie responds to her.

"We can cut it short."

"I actually need to study too," Jasmine admits.

"Aww you guys are killjoys." Sarah packs her bag with a pout.

"Shouldn't you be studying too?" I ask.

"Eh I have easy classes. I'll just wing it," she replies.

"And you're gonna get a horrible grade."

"Ah whatevs."

"I actually planned something for us next week. We can have a party at my house or we can pick out a small venue," I say. We definitely deserved a celebration after midterms and creaming the volleyball teams in the county.

Clara is the first to respond. "That sounds great."

"Well Coach is putting it together so if she has any more details she'll let you guys know."

"Why don't we have it at your house?" Rikku suggests. "I had so much fun the last time I was there."

"It's getting a little too cold."

"My dad has one of those small brazier fireplace things I could bring."

"We can sit outside and roast marsh mallows."

"Yes, please. So when is this gonna be?"

"Yeah I'm already looking forward to it," Jasmine says.

"Finalize those deats with Coach," Rikku says.

"Ok I'll do that after midterms. There won't be any partying if my grades slip," I say.

~0~0~0~

"I can cut forty seconds off the beginning." I place my iPod in its dock and start the routine. Or at least what I had come up with.

"You took this song from Step Up."

"How'd you know?" I ask.

"My movie knowledge is vast, young Padawon."

"Whatever console peasant. Just help me."

Vanitas waits about twenty seconds into the routine to interject. "So right here it allows room for a longer movement. If you wanted to," Vanitas moves to the side, "do this."

"And just do a body roll," I add.

"It can transition into this," he adds a move Mulan taught us last week.

We continue to cut pieces out and add segments until the choreo is done.

"That wasn't as hard as u was expecting it to be."

"What are you saying?"

"That you choose complicated dance moves."

"What? I do no such thing. You're just a little slow," I respond.

"Um no you like complex things. and I can understand what Sora meant when he said you confused him instead of helping him in math."

I scoff. "Well I can't believe that viper tongued vulture said that."

* * *

**The song Vanitas and Namine were practicing to was Bout It, the instrumental version by Yung Joc. It's a really good song.**

**The gist of this chapter is that Namine is slowly falling for Cloud even though they don't really share much common interest. Her friends, namely Riku and Selphie, notice a difference in her demeanor and Namine seems to be in denial. Namine is still playing this game that she and Riku started, by dating people to see what they're worth and dumping them in a pile when they've gotten what they wanted, yet Riku is enamored with Rinoa. Namine notices this change but won't acknowledge her own feelings about Cloud.**

**On a completely different side note, I've been spelling marshmallow wrong for years! I just found out that there's no 'e' in it. And no one even bothered to tell me something. Smh, I'll be damned.**

**The outfits Namine wore in this chapter are on Polyvore.**

**Hope you liked it : )**

_Sook_


	24. Underneath the Purple Skies We Danced

I can't believe it took twenty chapters to reach this point. Should it have been less, or nah?

**Disclaimer:** I own nothiiiiiiiing!

* * *

Recap:

**We were all dying to finish our midterms. I think the worst was over for now.**

_Riku and I had spent the better part of our days going through flashcards of body parts and subcutaneous layers._

_Vanitas helps me put together my dance piece for Mulan's class._

**I was making room for Cloud in my busy schedule. And some things were more important than others.**

_"A picnic!" I say excitedly._

_"Only the best for m'lady." Something stirs in me when he calls me by that endearment but I shake it off._

**I still have my doubts about him and I relate my concerns to Riku**

_"I think he's hot. I'm not sure what to make of it yet."_

"_Is that all you feel?"_

"_Yeah."_

**The volleyball team wins the championship by a hair**

_"In!" the referee calls from the sidelines._

**Hopefully we could enjoy the rest of the school year**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Underneath the Purple Skies We Danced**

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Monsta Mack – Sir Mix A Lot_

The long awaited day had finally come. Most people made a big deal over Christmas or Valentine's Day, but today was the only holiday I really enjoyed. Besides Comic Con, Halloween was the only other time you could dress up outlandishly and not be called a freak. Although there were some people who took their costumes to the extreme.

Last year Yuffie decided the best way to show off her new earned belt was to dress as a martial artist. And the year before that she was a ninja; complete with the ninja stars she was throwing around our room, destroying our things and injuring passersby.

She stepped up her game this year and was going as Joan Jett. Leather and spikes are definitely a thing Yuffie can pull off with ease.

Much to Yuffie's chagrin, Kairi went as Princess Bubblegum from Adventure Time. I thought it was absolutely adorable on her. She didn't go for the costume wrapped in plastic at Party City. We went thrift shopping for her outfit. She wore a sleeveless aquamarine gown with a flared skirt. Her accessories were a dark teal necklace and matching belt. While pink cotton candy gloss and lavender eye shadow adorned her face there was a gold tiara on top of her, now pink, hair. And she borrowed a pair of silver shoes from my closet. She really did fit the role of a princess.

I told her to wait for the finishing touches, but Yuffie beat me to it and now Kairi's hair was the exact shade of bubblegum. Luckily it would come out after a couple of washes. She would have to deal with the shocking color for now.

Sora was her cohort for the night had and dressed up as Finn. He wore the fitting blue pants and hoodie completed with a white rabbit like hat. Those two actually looked cute together.

Like a doting older sister I made them take about ten pictures posing together before they ran off to Selphie's party.

Mom was having a small party on her floor at work. Although the last thing those patients needed was scary creatures popping out of plants and bats hanging from the ceiling. I mean they were already on meds.

She'd probably get toasted and end up sleeping at her friend's house like she did last year.

I was able to get everything needed for my outfit after visiting about ten different stores. And Hot Topic played a huge part in the final items. Although I'll admit it was fun shopping with my sisters.

I adjust my orange skirt and smooth down the pleats. "I hope this will stay in place for the night."

Vanitas was finally emerging out of his cave, with mine and Sora's pushiness. With persistence and bribes, he was dressed as L from Death Note. I was probably the only one who would understand his costume but it was the thought that counted.

"I told you to just dress as Sherlock."

He scoffs. "My hair isn't in the least curly if you've noticed."

"That's what curling irons are for." I supply. "Don't suck the fun out of this."

"You're lucky I'm even coming out of my room for this," he says darkly.

"I had to straighten most of your hair down anyway. I could've easily curled it. And you even have the trench coat and scarf."

"And what, you would be my Watson?"

I put a gloved finger to my chin in thought. "You know I think I would make a damn good Watson. I've got the perfect bowler hat and there's this-"

"Ok, ok. Enough." He waves a hand at my rambling.

I smile.

"There's the first house," he points to a blue brick two story building ahead of us. "Get your bag ready." I was so excited. None of my friends wanted to go trick or treating. They were too invested in Selphie's party happening later. And they deemed it juvenile. _I _however wanted tons of Hershey bars and Snickers for free. Oh and those delicious Reese's Cups.

I was glad when Vanitas agreed to come with me. Turns out he had a soft spot for Jolly Ranchers.

"Trick or treat!" I chant along with gusto.

"Oh what great costumes this year. Jenny great mummy. Sara I love what you did with your witch's costume. Jeff, cute little pumpkin!"

The lady at the door handed the kids in front of us candy and sent them on their way.

"And who are you supposed to be?" she asks us.

"An anti-social detective who loves sweets and a cutely dressed high school girl who fights crime from outer space," Vanitas explains.

She gives us strange looks. "Uh ok."

I hold out my pumpkin tote. "Can I have some candy now please~"

She reluctantly drops some Twizzlers into our bags and we walk down the sidewalk.

"I hate these things." Vanitas is holding the plastic wrapped sweets in his hand. "You can have this." He drops them into my bag.

"Yes!"

We had a good while before any of the parties started. "On to the next house."

I turn to my partner in crime and stick a gloved fist in the air. "We're gonna dominate this street!"

0.0

_BGM: Alone Together – Fall Out Boy_

We make it to Selphie's party a little later than expected.

"I told you we shouldn't've stopped at that strange pink house," Van says to me.

"Yeah but did you see how much candy she gave us?" I was referring to the last house we had just come from.

I got Tootsie Rolls, Fun Dip, Snickers, Kit Kat, and Swedish Fish from that odd place. It must've been because it was so late in the night and the lady was ready to throw out all her goods. She did talk to us for what seemed like forever about her cats and how not many trick or treaters came to her house. And how she should really build a house outside for her growing pets. Either way I was a happy camper.

Van drove us to Selphie's and parked on her lawn. The grassy area was littered with other cars that couldn't fit by the sidewalk or in the driveway. It was close to nine when we reached her house. We shouldn't be that late.

Van pockets his keys as we make our way to the yellow painted door. After ringing the doorbell we waited a while.

"I didn't realize Selphie's parents encouraged her partying," Van says.

"They're hosting the party. They actually know about this one."

"I didn't recognize any cars," Van points out.

"Neither did I. Maybe people carpooled or they're parked somewhere else," I hoped.

I ring the bell a few more times and a tall blonde with a beehive greets us. "Great to see you again honey. How's your mom?" Mrs. Telesco envelops me in a hug. She was dressed as a witch this year.

"Doing well. She's at her own party of sorts tonight."

"Well I'm glad she's enjoying herself wherever she is." She turns her attention to Vanitas. "And you dear. I don't recognize you." She surprises Vanitas by pulling him into a hug. After introducing himself she says, "Well any friends of Selphie are friends of mine. You two help yourselves to the refreshments in the kitchen."

"Thanks." We took Mrs. Telesco's offer up and raided the kitchen.

I picked up some candy corn and shoved it into a pocket in my bag. My sugar levels were on a high tonight.

"Why are we the only ones here?" Vanitas asks me. I didn't spot anyone I recognized from school. I saw one or two or Selphie's cousins mingling in the crowd, but the girl herself was yet to be found.

"Hmm I don't know," I shrug. We looked through the kitchen again and doubled back into the living room. "Let's see if she's upstairs." With fruit punch in hand, we make our way up the stairs in search of Selphie.

The music dies down a bit as we ascend the staircase.

We see some people talking in the hallway. One had a leather jacket and the other was dressed like a lizard.

"Yuffie?" It was hard to determine identities with everyone dressed up.

The girl in questions turns around. "Hey Nam. It's about time you made it."

"Where the hell is everyone?" I ask.

"Don't worry bout it. We're ditchin this place in a sec."

"Why?" Van speaks up.

"Everyone's heading over to Tidus' house," the lizard answers.

I pull out my phone to send Cloud a text. After seeing the _New Message_ icon on my phone's screen I read the text. It was from Cloud.

_I'm headed over to Tidus' place now _it read.

He must've gotten the memo. I respond to let him know I would be heading over there soon.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" I question.

"Waiting for me of course." The lady of the night leaves her room with a flourish of her white and red polka dotted dress and plants a hand on her hip. "You ready?"

"Are you supposed to be a pin up girl?" I ask.

"No I'm far too classy for that. I'm Lucille Bell of course. Now let's blow this geeze fest and hit the real festivities."

"You realize you're talking about your parents?" Van says.

"Yes and the truth hurts. Let's go."

* * *

_BGM: Death Valley – Fall Out Boy_

The group of teens fleeing the Telesco house walked to Tidus' place. Luckily it wasn't too far. We would probably end up talking a bus or making a walk of shame back to Selphie's house in the AM.

We walk into Tidus' home thirty minutes passed nine. Selphie immediately makes a beeline for some cute guy on the stairs.

Tidus' parents were out for the weekend, as expected, and the house was slightly decorated with cobwebs. Or the maid wasn't doing her job right.

I was handed a cup as soon as I walked through the door. "Now _this_ is service," Van comments.

"This isn't apple juice," I tell him.

Vanitas gives me a deadpan look. "I know."

"I didn't realize you drank."

"You'd be surprised some of the things you don't know about me."

"Well seeing as you avoid people like the plague I'm sure there are plenty of things I don't know."

After taking another sip of the strong drink Van leaves me in search of a quiet place to brood. My words not his.

There were maybe a handful of people scattered throughout the house so I took the opportunity to explore. Cloud said he would meet me here. Apparently his ride was running late.

Tidus' parents were attorneys and their townhouse was a definite reflection of that. There was cherry wood furniture decorating the otherwise sparse home. The only other décor were some black and orange streamers. The home had a light and airy feel as you wandered through the rooms. There were spotless glass tables, some that had flower arrangements on them in expensive vases. Everything in the house seemed to have a meticulous order. Absolutely nothing was out of place.

But that wouldn't last for very long…

"Hey you better use a coaster!" Tidus calls out to someone. "My mom hates spots on the coffee table."

I chuckle and leave the living room. The house was slowly filling up two and three teens at a time.

"If there was only a talented bartender around here…" I say to myself. I waltz into the kitchen to find something to mix into my drink. Looking around I spot the sink in a corner. I take another quick sip and dump the liquid into the sink. I wasn't one to waste alcohol but I wasn't up for drinking vodka straight up either. I could already hear my liver shouting praises.

"Well damn this is tall." I turn my attention to the skyscraper of a cabinet. The cabinets in the kitchen were higher up and my height did not help at all. I place my bag and cup on the counter before climbing onto it. Once I hoisted myself onto my knees I start opening the doors. I move to another counter and peruse through soy sauces and baking sprays.

"Come on, I know you're in here some…where."

It was a task looking through the strange condiments that littered the kitchen. I had climbed all over their counters in hopes of finding the goods. I did find one or two hidden bottles.

"Hiding behind the pancake mix. No wonder Tidus' eats breakfast at school."

I had found some mixable juice among other things and I had placed my findings on the counter around me.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were a burglar."

"And a cute one at that," I say before turning around. "Hey you wanna help me mix something?" I ask Cloud.

"It would be my pleasure."

He helps me down from the counter and places a quick kiss on my lips. I momentarily forget what I'm doing to hide my blush. I turn around to face my mess and think on what would mix better.

"So what are we making?" he asks.

"Hopefully something great." I pour red syrup into my empty cup. I found some Crown Royal stashed behind maple syrup and poured it into the Solo cup.

"Now for the fruit juice." I shook up the bottle. Let's hope it turns out well.

After taking a sip I purse my lips in thought. It was pretty ok. I hand Cloud to taste.

"Wow that's good," he compliments.

"I know, right?"

"Is this where you disappeared to?" Selphie walks into the kitchen. "Should've known."

"Well excuse my liver that I can't consume a Russian breakfast on an empty stomach."

"Are you the bartender of the night?" a girl with dreds asks from behind her.

"Uh no. But I don't have an issue mixing a pitcher for everyone." I wanted to party not work. But I also wanted a steady supply of alcohol. First world problems at their finest.

Riku had made his way into the kitchen too. He lifts up the bottle of juice. "I don't know if this is gonna be enough."

It was three quarters way full.

"Well where's the host? I need to get my drink on and make bad decisions. And alcohol is a key factor," I hear a girl say.

"Keep your panties on!" Selphie chimes in.

"What are you doing?" the host in question pushes his way through the small crowd that formed.

"Stealing your mom's Crown. I think I need more ingredients though." I pour the entire bottle of Crown Royal into a serving bowl Riku found.

Rinoa was getting some ice from the freezer and poured it into the glass bowl.

"Pay attention," Selphie said from behind me.

"Yeah keep up Tidus."

He ran off to get what I hoped was another bowl.

"This punch isn't going to make itself," I cry after him.

After mixing some Vodka and Kool Aid in another bowl I poured myself a cup full. Music was blasting through the stereo system, the house was alive with laughter, and I had a hot guy by my side.

I couldn't tell how much time was passing but I was having a blast. At some point I saw Kairi dancing with Sora and even Van made a brief appearance, though it was to push through us to get another drink.

About eight of us found ourselves in the den area of Tidus' place. It was close enough to the music but away from the drunken dolts.

At some point the girl with dreds decided it would be nice to play a game of spin the bottle.

"Basic rules apply. Answer the truth question or take the dare. And every seventh spin will be for seven minutes in heaven."

We agree on the rules and start the game. Some of us were seated on couches, others on the floor.

"Tooth or dare?"

"Truth you mean?"

"Yeah yeah. Ok what's the worst thing you've had to do this entire week?"

"Drink alcohol mixed with Kool Aid."

"Hey that Triple Sec made it taste better," I say with my cup raised in hand. Tidus' did some more digging and found the goods.

"It was ill prepared on the hosts' part."

"I'm sorry I can't hear you over how much FUN everyone is having," Tidus replies.

The bottle lands on Selphie. "Hit me with a dare."

"I dare you to kiss the person directly across from you." That would be Tidus.

"Nothing I haven't done before." Well this certainly didn't shock me.

Before Tidus can reply Selphie plants a wet kiss on him.

He pulls back breathless and Selphie takes a sip of her drink before resuming her turn. "Kay who's the next victim?"

She dares a girl in a full rabbit suit to run down the block with nothing but her underwear on.

We all laugh and watch as she shamelessly disrobes and then takes down the street. A few of us pull out our phones to document this moment. She even does a cartwheel at the end of the driveway before making her way into the house.

"You've got balls," I tell her.

"Thanks," she laughs as she rubs her arms. It was chilly outside tonight.

After she puts her rabbit costume back on she spins the bottle only to land on me. "Ok your turn," the blue haired girl points to me.

I spin the bottle a little too fast and it's sent careening away from me.

"Wait let it stop spinning," Selphie says before anyone can touch it.

The girl who last went says, "This'll be for the seven minutes in heaven."

I smile in anticipation. I could see it was gonna land on Cloud. Just as I thought the bottle stopped it continued to move and landed on Vanitas. _What the hell gravity?_ Centrifugal force was not on my side.

I get up from my seat on the ground a little too fast, staggering with a step. There was no point in delaying this.

"Let's get this over with," I grab Van's arm.

"I hope you know we're not kissing," I say once we're behind closed doors.

"_I_ wasn't planning on doing anything." The air in here was thinning or something. It was hard to breathe in the dark, cramped space. Someone had shoved us in the small coat closet and left. They were probably continuing the game in the den.

"Can I be honest with you for a sec," Van says.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"He seems like a jerk," Vanitas says nonchalantly.

I immediately knew who he was talking about and I'm taken aback by his harsh comment. No one really commented on my dating life. And in general Vanitas never commented about my personal life like that.

"Where is this coming from?" I ask curiously.

"It's just…he comes off smooth and suave but it's a façade."

"What?"

"Look his personality sucks. And you'd be able to see it if you weren't so enamored with him."

I was willing to listen up to this point. I could feel a small flare of irritation build up in me. "You know what Vanitas I didn't ask for your opinion about who I'm with. And furthermore, you don't know him like I do." It even sounded cliché once it left my lips but the defense came out in waves of anger.

"Yeah well I'm saying something regardless. If you could see, like _really_ see-"

"Enough Vanitas." I didn't want to hear anything more from him. This was definitely the most negative thing I'd heard about Cloud and I couldn't bring myself to listen. I hadn't exactly asked around about him, but I felt like I read his character pretty well enough. And anyways I didn't need this to put a wedge in my plans. I was already kind of close to cracking Cloud. And I kind of liked him.

He scoffs. "Fine, don't say I told you so-"

"I'm done listening Van. Shut up."

He puts a hand over my mouth. "Don't tell me shut up. I'm actually concerned in some strange way about your welfare. That's what friends do."

I want to respond but his hand is still pressed against my mouth. So I bit him. Hard.

"Dammit!"

"Don't cover my mouth. Rude."

He smears his hand, covered with my spit and lipgloss, over my cheek.

"The hell?" I find his hand again and bite it, less hard this time.

"Namine I'll kill you right now and hide the body if you don't stop."

"There's more where that came from chump."

We continued fighting a while in the closet. Him calling me stupid, me saying he was a no nothing shut in. I'm not sure of the whole exchange but I know it wasn't pretty.

Bright light trickles into the small space.

"Well this isn't what I was expecting," Yuffie says.

My hands were wrapped around Vanitas' neck in a vice and his hand was pressed against my face, pushing me away from him. I release my hold on him and stumble out of the closet.

Fresh air.

"Please don't spill blood. It's very hard to clean up on this floor," Tidus says.

"Vanitas why is your neck red," Sora pokes his brother's forming bruise. Vanitas has a sour expression on his face and I have one to match.

The night started off good but then took a slightly bad turn.

"Okay that's it for spin the bottle. Move the party elsewhere people."

"There's a new batch of punch in the kitchen!" Selphie sure knew how to clear a room.

I would need another few drinks to clear Vanitas' words from my head.

"You ok?" Cloud asks.

I take a breath. "Yeah."

"It sounded like you two were having a WWE match in there."

"I can hold my own. It was just a misunderstanding."

"Well I didn't know dance partners were so… emotionally inclined to act."

_Like assholes_, I wanted to add.

I got another drink from the kitchen, grabbed Cloud, and pushed our way on to the dance floor. There was still the whole night left to enjoy.

Vanitas was always quiet. And on the rare occasions he did open himself up, it wasn't frivolous or at someone else's expense. There was always truth to what he said. I just couldn't figure it out this time.

I'm sure he just misheard something in the locker rooms or whatever. I pushed the issue aside and decided to bring it up another day.

Maybe never.

* * *

**Well there's the chapter. Hope it was to your liking and such. Namine and Kairi's costumes are on my Polyvore, so check it out.**

_Sook_


	25. Snap, Crackle, and POP!

I know, it's been a while.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the title and the scenes to follow. Also there is a lemon so if you do not wish to read it, skip over the scene with Namine and Cloud. Trust me, you'll be able to spot it.

* * *

Recap:

**Halloween parties ALL around**

_I coerced Vanitas to dress up and come trick or treating with me. Maybe next year we'll even have matching costumes._

**After the kiddie festivities, we make our way around town. Selphie's house was filled with her parents' friends**

"_We're leaving this geez fest," Selphie declares._

**And once we finally settle on a house party, I come to find out that Tidus' refreshment table is seriously lacking**

"_This is just vodka in a cup."_

**So I mix up my own concoction(s)**

_After mixing Vodka and Kool Aid together I pour myself a drink and have fun. I was generous enough to mix a punch bowl full for the rest of the guests._

**After various party games and dancing, Vanitas puts a bit of a damper on my mood**

"Can I be honest with you for a sec? Cloud seems like a jerk. His smooth persona is a façade and-"

**I ignore Vanitas, ****after**** having a WWE brawl with him**

"_Please don't spill blood. It's very hard to clean up on this floor," our host pleads._

**Grabbing another drink I try to drown out Vanitas' words and enjoy what was left of my night**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Snap, Crackle, and POP!**

~0~0~0~

I laugh at Axel's joke and punch his arm in good humor.

"It's official now?" I ask.

"Unless Larxene changes her mind."

I had a minute before my yoga class so I was perusing the halls with Axel.

"So I assume the Halloween party was…"

He looks over to me. "Yeah, it went great."

Well it took them long enough. Larxene and Axel had been playing cat and mouse for as long as I could remember. They were both big flirts and liked to mess around. The only serious relationship I'd known Axel to be in was with me, and even that was fleeting. And Larxene herself wasn't easily held down by anything. But when she was serious about a guy, she didn't play games.

"I have high hopes for you two." Though how long they would last was another question. They, individually, had the capacity for a long term relationship; loyalty, very open about feelings (when the matter was small), determined, and strong-willed.

But together they were a storm of chaos. Heaven help us all.

In the midst of our conversation, I hear someone giggle obnoxiously. I roll my eyes at the sound and start to say something about it to Axel. She obviously sounds liked she was trying too hard at whatever she was doing.

Once my eyes make it to the source of giddy laughter, my words catch in my throat. Cloud is leaning against a doorpost indulging said chick. But that wasn't what stops me in my tracks. She is close enough to place her hand on his chest.

I don't mean to be territorial but who the _fuck_ was this bitch? I was no fool, she was clearly flirting. And I thought I had made it clear that Cloud was with me. Well at least Cloud was the one who put a label on our relationship. So I think it's time I pulled the girlfriend card.

It was time to school this tawdry turnip.

I stop Axel with a look and walk up to the pair.

"Hey," I smile at Cloud. "How's it going Alex?" I recognize the girl from my music class last year. She also just joined the JV volleyball team. "You mind if I borrow him for a second?"

I don't wait for a response as I throw my arm around his neck and bring his face down to mine. I feel a course of fire ignite through me as our lips crash and move in synch with each other. Hopefully no teachers would break apart our lovely PDA. When I'm satisfied with my performance I lightly push him away. By now I knew my message was delivered. He is breathing heavily as I walk back to Axel.

"See you Friday night," I call over my shoulder with a wink. I fall into step with Axel and take note of his confused expression.

"Namine, what was that?"

"It was some girl talk with my friend over there. And I was just claiming my territory," I say with a smirk.

That should show her.

0.0.0

_BGM: Victorious – Panic! At The Disco_

Volleyball season had passed in a flash and ended with a bang. Our championship trophy sat in Tifa's office, glittering like a beacon. It was times like this that made all the grueling practices and intense games make it worth it. Not just because we kicked the other teams' asses, but we worked as one to do it.

We had our congratulatory party at my house. Outside. In the _cold_.

Luckily one of the girls pulled through and brought a mini fireplace. It was set up on my front porch where we huddled together for more warmth. Rikku brought a set of loud speakers so we could really get the party started. Pitbull and Panic! At the Disco filled the night air as we watched our marshmallows melt into goo. We recounted the last game like it was a play by play and ate way too much chocolate.

Aunt Tifa told us a story or two of when she played in high school. When she narrated a story about her volleyball days, it wasn't like she was an old man talking about his glory days. I felt like she was one of our peers, telling us about this amazing game she just played last week. The snide remarks made to the opposing team, how she shouldn't have eaten that corndog before her play, and how her teammate nailed a girl on the opposite team in the face. It was great when she told us about this life.

Late into the night our fun was had and stomachs were filled, the fire in the brazier burned down to smoldering ash, and the temperature dropped enough to send us shivering. Some of the girls decided to stay the night and we piled our living room up with pillows and blankets. It was fun staying up gossiping, catching up on certain goings-on, eating more junk.

It was a great release from midterms. A seemingly endless night without worries of class, work, or boys.

Speaking of the latter…

I just couldn't get Vanitas' words out of my head, even with melted marshmallows and hot cocoa staining my upper lip. I could easily do some snooping on Cloud. That area was never a problem for me. Whether I wanted to _pursue_ this matter was a different story entirely. I didn't feel like it was an issue. It was just that it came from Vanitas.

I wasn't asking for it nor was I looking to bring it up but I ended up learning something from one of the girls. Apparently she had dated Cloud.

So there we were in the kitchen, waiting for the popcorn in the microwave. The rest of the girls could be heard as a dull roar in the living room. She commented on how cute she thought Cloud and I looked together. I wasn't an accessory but whatever, I'd take her compliment.

"Yeah he's so sweet."

"Is that all?" I question. I was hoping to get a pointer or two from her.

"Well I was expecting more from him than he would offer."

Where was this going? "In terms of what? He wouldn't hold your hand down the hallways, or he never made dates with you."

She chuckles. "No. Um I just felt like I wasn't the only girl he was dating."

"He was seeing other girls while he was with you?" I ask incredulously.

"Not exactly," she shakes her head. Well this wasn't helpful. "It was just this _feeling_ I had. You know the kind you get when you know something is up but can't quite put your finger on it. like a sixth sense. And it was like I was getting subtle hints and sometimes things were happening that I didn't really get like someone saying a sly remark that I'd just brush off as jealously."

My stomach dropped at her words.

I raise an eyebrow. "So you think he's fooling around?"

"I'm not saying he is, cause I don't know. He just…he was kind of suspicious. It was just the vibe I got from him sometimes."

That put my brain to work 100 miles a minute.

"Don't think too much on what I said. Cloud was kinda sketchy when I was with him but that doesn't mean he's doing the same thing to you."

Besides he's a gentleman. Maybe it was just her insecurity.

So far I hadn't experienced anything she herself had gone through. There _was_ that twit in the hallway, but Cloud hadn't exactly egged her on. And there was what Vanitas said. But he wasn't the best at social cues. And maybe whatever he heard or saw was misconstrued. Cloud wasn't playing me.

Or maybe he was? This over analyzing was hurting my head. I thanked her and pushed the thought from my mind.

I concentrated my brain on dancing and the rest of the school year. Surprisingly, Vanitas didn't bring up what happened at Tidus' party and I sure as hell wasn't either. I thought it would be awkward since we saw each other nearly every day. We continued on like it was never said and that was fine with me.

* * *

_BGM: crushcrushcrush – Paramore/ Ignorance – Paramore _

"You should come to our open mic night."

"You party hard. I don't know if I can do that on a school night," I say. Axel was trying to get me to come to another one of RADZ's shows. The vibes were great, the people chill, but I had a Statistics test tomorrow.

"It's not like our last show you came to. It's just in a small little café. You know local artists on a tiny stage," he was explaining.

"How's the downgrade?" I ask.

"It's not too bad. We don't have the same audience that's for sure. We kinda keep it low key in this type of setting."

"But with a lieu of rock."

"You know it. So you busy Friday, then? You won't have to worry about staying awake for your little classes," Axel teases.

I roll my eyes. "_You're_ still in school. Don't you have homework to do?"

"I'm a senior. I don't need to worry about all that. Hey, maybe you can bring your man candy with you."

"I don't know if Cloud has something planned for us." And he regularly worked at a garage so I don't know when he'd find time.

Axel raises an eyebrow. "I was talking about Riku."

"Oh. _He_ probably has something going on with Rinoa."

"I swear, once you find a boyfriend you up and leave your besties high and dry." Axel dramatically rolls his eyes.

"I do no such thing."

He places a hand on his chest. "Just leave me all alone to perish. On my tombstone they'll put 'Here lies the sexiest man on earth who died from chronic abandonment. His closest friends preoccupied themselves with their significant others and left him to get laid.' And everyone will feel remorse and sorrow for the perpetual-"

"Enough, drama queen. You act like you haven't spent any one on one time with Larxene."

Axel waves me away. "We make time for each other but we also have our own lives. I don't like to live vicariously through others."

"No one's asking you to."

"Ah, but you and Riku are setting the precedent."

"Oh shut it. We'll be at your show, me _and_ my man candy. When's your next show?"

"Tonight," he responds with a smile. "Try to dress demure."

"Since when have I ever dressed to fit in?"

"When it involves money, you do." He gives me a once over. "You should wear that top. It makes you look dowdy and you'll fit in with the crowd."

I scoff. "Just text me the location and I'll be there."

0.0

Despite Axel's admonishment on my attire, I dressed the way I wanted. A pair of black combat boots, red leggings paired with an army jacket. Conservative and dowdy my ass. Although I was channeling my inner grunge, I felt comfortable. Whether or not I'd fit in with the crowd was up for discussion. It was pretty cold in the November so I was layering up.

After my last class of the day, I made our after school plans clear to Cloud. He was a little apprehensive but he showed up at my house to drive us to the venue.

I never had trouble fitting in. Usually I got along with everyone, my friendly charms disquieting negative aura like a ray gun. I wasn't worried in the slightest even though my darkly lined eyes were somewhat off-putting.

RADZ show was a little later in the evening and on a weekday, but I convinced Mom to let me go.

"_Do you know how many connections we could be making over there? I know it's the city and we'll be there at night but that's like a rich district. It's calm there and I'm sure the only fights to break out are over which state made the best wine. And if anything I can always call Dad."_

_She gives me a death stare assessing me. "I expect you in no later than ten-thirty. Go straight to the café and bring your ass back home. And don't have that boy driving all over that god-forsaken city at night."_

"So you know who's gonna be there?" he asks.

I was finding out that he was a bit conservative. And that he wasn't all that good at small talk.

"No, just the band. It's a low-key affair according to Axel." I turn to Cloud. He would probably fit in more than me. The sleeves of his green sweater were rolled up and he wore dark denim. His loafers were screaming hipster but at least his outfit was on point.

"Um I've never actually been to any of their shows. I've just seen videos that people have taken," he admits. "So I don't know what to expect."

This should be interesting.

"It won't be one of their normal shows. If it's in the area I think it is, then it'll be small. Probably thirty people at the most," I assure him.

Though it was open mic night there was no telling how many would try and squeeze their way into the café. These affairs could attract a large group of on lookers if the performers were popular.

On open mic night comedians, singer/songwriters, and other artists would perform their piece(s) on stage. Meantime patrons put cash into a jar. At the end of the night the person with the most 'noise' won the pot. I imagine since Axel was doing this before the whole fund raiser thing came into play he would leave with the entire jar of money.

Though he didn't do it often. He respected artists living on their work and hated to "take their bread and butter" when he was well off.

It was about 40 minutes before we made it into the city. Streets were being filled to the brim thick with employees racing from their places of business. With me directing from the passenger's seat, we were able to avoid the worst of the oncoming traffic. I was able to find the venue and pick out a parking spot close by. Luckily it wasn't a garage or a spot with a meter.

We made out in the front seat of Cloud's Camaro. It was more to calm him down than anything else. Cloud didn't like surprises, and he definitely wouldn't like the crowd either, so I had to do something to dispel his fears. And ok maybe I just wanted some hands-on action with him.

Honestly it was fun, knowing the five-o could break us up for public disturbance or whatever.

And so many things were running through my head at the time.

_How many other girls has he felt up in this very seat? _Not that I minded much as his hands made their way up my shirt.

_Has he had sex in this car?_

_I don't think so. He likes his detailed leather._

_I wonder if _I _could get him to have sex in here. Man that'd be hot. _But the leather would stick to our skin. Ouch.

My thoughts are broken when my pocket vibrates with a text from Axel. _I hope you're not bailin on my show and makin out somewhere. Tell Cloud he can get his dick wet another time._

I guess it was time for us go.

It was a decent sized café. Twice the size of what I was expecting. It was a regular hipster looking coffee shop. Complete with a sweet barista section, baked goods, quaint décor and a main stage. Either this was a different place than the one I remember or they did some renovating.

Cloud and I find wander around for a bit taking in our surroundings. I make my way to place our drink order and continue looking for RADZ.

His fiery mane is tied back in a ponytail when he approaches us.

"Small venue?" I ask him.

"Oh shut your pretty little mouth. You better find seats cause our set starts soon."

Currently a short girl with a beanie covering most of her head is on stage reciting a poem. At least we'd have some variety.

Mine and Cloud's drinks are placed in front of me. I pick up both and make my way over to Cloud who had found us a small table.

I got him a fruit smoothie. Strangely enough he was a healthy person. A little too healthy for my taste, but I'd let it slide. I on the other hand was shooting pumpkin spiced something into my system.

RADZ finally left the stage in a flourish. Paramore's _Only Exception_ was a lovely way to end their short set. They played two original songs and covered Paramore. I guess there wasn't a set time for each performance.

Artists came and went: a girl with a keyboard, a set of boys beat boxing and rapping, a guy with a guitar, dramatic poetry readings, Shakespeare's sonnets recited, and a few comedians.

The artists would be called to the stage once everyone had performed. In the meantime I was acquainting myself with the pastry bar. Maybe I should get a second job out here. That way I could spend a little more time with my dad. And I'd be close to all the awesome clubs.

I busied myself with speaking to a few of the patrons. Apparently I wasn't the only newbie here.

"I'm loving the army grunge look girl," a girl with long black locks compliments me.

"Yeah Jess, considering that was your last obsession," her friend chimes in.

Our range of topics changed from school and majors to jobs and the existentialism of the government. You know the usual.

I met a few cool people. Definitely hipster, but chill and funny. We exchanged numbers and we selfied a bit.

I returned to my seat but found Axel in Cloud's spot. I take a seat next to him.

"Where's my man of the hour?" I ask him. this wouldn't be the first time Axel disposed of a date or sent him on some strange quest for an item I was dying for at the moment.

"I just had a nice talk with our friend. Nothing to worry about Nami." That did not sound too good.

"Axel, what did you say?" I ask cautiously.

"That I would kill him and hide the body if he hurt you."

As I release a breath, I nod in approval. "Sounds good to me."

"You have people who care about you. Like really care about you. And when you hurt we hurt too." I smile at his words.

"Aw stop. You're making me blush."

"Don't feel afraid to tell us what's going on either if things go bad." Axel let that thought sit with me before slipping a cigarette between his teeth. "Now go out there and get your boy. He looks like he's about to faint."

I could tell Axel's words were true. This wasn't exactly Cloud's scene. It wasn't a rough crowd like RADZ normally entertained at their shows but it was of the intellectual, creative kind. My little grease monkey was sweet and reserved but not well cultured so I wasn't sure it would pan out nicely. Cloud would run out of common ground soon. Besides pleasantries, he stuck out like a sore thumb. I sigh. I guess it came with the territory.

"Aye aye captain."

~0~0~0~

_BGM: Baby be Mine – Quadron/ Keep On Dancin' – Ellie Goulding_

_Crème puffs_

_Crème Brule_

_Meringue pie_

_Tiramisu_

This sounded like the most delicious dessert line up I'd ever seen. Creamy, caramel, and whipped. Selphie handed me the list before I left school. I was currently sitting on Cloud's bed scrolling through some notes for the bake sale.

These were some pretty expensive desserts. And it seemed a bit time consuming to make each of those items. I replace the tiramisu and meringue pie with chocolate chip cookies and spice-flavored boxed cakes. Although I loved those desserts we were trying to raise money, not deplete our existing funds. I rub my arms slightly.

"Are you cold?" Cloud asks.

"Um a little." The brisk chill of October came and went like a pedestrian inching their way across a busy street. It was the beginning of November and it was about time we turned up the heat full blast.

Winters in New York could be harsh but I loved when the first snow fell. It was like seeing the world for the first time. Everything covered in a thin film of white dust. It sparkled like diamonds in the day and was a powdery surprise to fall into at night. It melted in your mouth, made beautiful flakes if you caught it at the right time, and was perfect for snowball fights.

Cloud sits on his bed and cuddles up to my side. I never knew a guy who liked cuddling and was willing to make the first move to do so I usually had to burrow into them like a newborn searching for warmth.

"Now I'm a little too hot," I chuckle.

Cloud was working on something as well, probably homework, but he was intent on keeping my attention. I continued to look over the list.

_Cookies - 75 cents a piece. Depends on how big they are. Use my special recipe._

_Boxed cakes – depends on the size. If it's about 1x1, and frosted, 50 cents should be good._

_Hot chocolate is a big commodity. Pumpkin spice is a nice touch._ Thanksgiving was around the corner.

"What do you think?" I turn to Cloud who was looking over at my screen.

He just shrugs, "Uh what about eggnog?"

"That's actually good. I'm not exactly about the whole raw egg thing though. My mom might have a recipe for that. Or maybe we can do horchata."

"I think that you should take a break," he says, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Um, no thank you. I need to finish this." Quistis was also expecting me to finish five articles by Monday. I'm glad I already had three of them done. It was the start of my weekend but I would prefer to get things done ASAP.

"You've been working on this since you got here," Cloud whines into my side.

_Crème puffs – well it depends how much it takes to make those_

_Chocolate covered strawberries_

I switched to another Microsoft Document. It was for dance. Mulan was helping Rinoa with the skits but I was still feeding her ideas.

_Nutcracker dance (short) – suggest it and run_

_Get together a groupd sfskldfse_

I jump as Cloud runs his hand up my side. "Cloud your hands are cold."

"Why don't you help me warm them up?" he has a devilish smirk on his face.

I sigh, a bit torn between finishing my work and obliging my guy. I guess I _could_ take a break. Most of my work was completed. I save my documents and close the laptop.

"Ok, but I'm only taking a ten minute break."

"Sure," his face lights up like a kid on Christmas.

Ten minutes turns into twenty and soon I lost track of the time. My back is cushioned/braced against Cloud's pillows and he him on top of me. Between Cloud's heated kisses and tender touch I was putty in his hands. Of course I would never tell him that.

"So when do you have to leave?" he asks between kisses.

"I don't really have to be home." His touch sends ice-like shivers through me and his soft kiss leaves me a bit breathless.

"Aren't your parents going to be home soon?" I stop to look up at him.

"They're actually gone for the weekend," he looks at me expectantly as he sits up.

"I could stay a little longer." I reach for my phone and quickly text Yuffie.

_Can you cover for me? I might be staying at Cloud's tonight. _

I sit up then I texted Mom. _Hey I'm staying at Selphie's to work on the bake sale details_

I took off my necklace and earrings. They were beginning to irritate me.

Now to make sure my bases were covered. In case anyone asked where I was, namely the parental, I preferred to have an alibi.

_Selphie do me a solid. Mom thinks I'm staying at your house. thanks:)_

Selphie replies _Ok girl. I got this._

I could practically see Yuffie rolling her eyes as she replied. _Ok Golden Child. I expect to see you tomorrow._

Cloud was lying on the other side of the bed. "You sure are a busy woman," he smirks before putting his computer away.

"Yup. Just taking care of business." I set my phone on his night stand and crawl over to him. "Now for the pleasure…"

My heart was beating like a racehorse approaching the last lap. I take a deep breath to steady myself and sluggishly kiss Cloud. He responds by parting his mouth to deepen the kiss. My hands make their way in an entanglement in his hair so I can bring him closer. He places his hands on my back, bringing us chest to chest with me sitting in his lap. Barely breathing between kisses I start to unbutton his shirt with shaky hands and he doesn't object. When the last button is undone we break apart so he can take it off and throw it to the side.

I was wearing tights and a sweater dress. It took some work to shimmy off the dress with Cloud's help. There wasn't exactly a sexy way to strip it off. As it reached the top of my head and fell to the carpet Cloud seized my lips roughly with his. After my tights made their way off my legs Cloud pushed me onto the pillows.

"You match," Cloud observes my underwear. It was purple satin with white lace. Lately I had been wearing my sexiest lingerie anticipating this very moment.

"You like? " I wink. I sit up and unbuckle his belt. "Now I don't think it's fair that you have on more clothes than I do." After his pants are unbuttoned I throw them to the floor. _Man jeans were always the hardest to take off._

Cloud kisses me again and all thoughts leave me.

I trace my hand slowly up his chest before cupping his face and leading us both back down on his bed.

We hadn't made it this far when we were making out. It was always above the belt action. This was a new territory.

Cloud starts to trail hot kisses down my neck and chest. For some reason this felt different. And not because he got my bra off in record time. With my breasts exposed, he stared down at me hungrily before taking one in his mouth and softly sucking on it.

_Well this is definitely not his first time._

I moan my approval as my legs made their way around his waist. That encouraged him as he took my other breast in his right hand to gently massage it. I could feel his member through his boxers. _Oh he was so hard._ We stay like this for the longest taking things slow, exploring.

It's a mix of racing heartbeats and small smiles. . I felt smothered in his hold, like warm mashed potatoes having sweet, thick gravy being poured onto it.

"Cloud," I gently say and he slowly stops. One look and a silent agreement pass between us. He reaches over to his night stand and opens the drawer.

"Oh," I could see his face fall. "I don't have any." He looks back over to me.

_Way ahead of you lover boy._

I quickly get up and rifle through my purse. My chest was pounding so I took this time to calm it. I was uncharacteristically nervous, and frankly it was affecting my performance. I gave myself a quick pep talk before finding what I was looking for. In a very small zipper there were about five different ones to choose from. I pick up a red and blue one.

I make my way back over to Cloud and hold out the prize between my fingers, "You might want to invest in some." _Because we would be using a ton of them._

He takes it and pulls me to him. He is sitting on the edge of the bed and had me between his legs. We continued kissing passionately and I made my way to sit in his lap. I was getting this weird feeling in my stomach; a small storm whirring into a chaos. Cloud maneuvers us so I was now lying with my back on the bed. He continues to kiss me as his hands grip my hips and made their way down, taking my purple lace thong with them. I reach up to pull off Cloud's boxers as his appendage makes its way out. Throbbing and stiff I take it in my hands and stroke it slowly. He gives a low hiss as he places his lips on mine once more. With his hands on my shoulders, he lays me back down and began to rub his finger against my wet clit.

He brings his mouth close to my ear and says, "You're soaking wet," before gently putting his finger into me. I gasp as he slowly brings it in back out. He started to nibble on my ear. _Wow. _After he pulled his finger out he started rubbing his hard shaft against my wet sex. I reach to my left and grabbed the wrapped package with two fingers.

"Shall I do the honors?" I lifted it into his line of vision. As I place the rubber on him I massaged the appendage softly.

"I'll make you remember this," his whisper sent chills down my spine. When he entered me, it was so wet and warm I let out a contented sigh. My legs wrap instinctively around his waist to bring him closer and he enters deeper into me. Cloud starts with a slow thrust. We continued kissing, matching our slow rhythm. _Oh my GOD he's good._ He thrusts in to me a little too hard which elicits a sharp gasp from me.

Then he started to pick up the pace. And I dug my hands into his back to keep him as close as possible. I was out of breath and started seeing stars. I thrust my pelvis up at the same time he thrusts down. Each time we met it was an eruption of nebulas.

It was like hearing white noise. Like seeing nothing but a blinding white. _Oh my goodness. I think I'm going to come._

We both exclaimed. Cloud pulls out of me and I felt the warmth leave with him. He lay beside me on my right.

Our chests heave from our excursion. The chill of the room seeps onto my skin causing goose bumps to rise.

"So we're both natural blondes," I say and we laugh. I roll over on my stomach and tenderly kiss Cloud.

This was definitely different. I couldn't quite place my finger on it but it was there. Whatever _it_ was.

I fell asleep on his chest exhausted from our romp.

* * *

"Namine," I hear someone sleepily calling my name.

"Five more minutes." _Mmm it was nice and toasty. _The covers were up to my neck. Hmm how did I get the blanket on?

"Babe."

I open an eye. "Yes," I peer at Cloud with one eye.

"It's six thirty."

"Ok." I close my eye back and snuggle deeper into his side. Why could people understand the sanctity of sleep?

"We should probably get up," he says.

"Mmm."

He tickles my side and I jump up. "Oh o-o-ok."

"Food?" he asks.

"You read my mind," I start to button the shirt I had picked up. It was Cloud's. Call it a trophy for my earlier performance. I didn't even bother putting my underwear back on.

Cloud throws on some sweatpants and a shirt and follows me down stairs to the kitchen.

"Waffles?" he asks.

I shake my head.

"Nutella?" Did he think I was some basic bitch? Those were empty calories and I had just burned twice what I ate toady.

"No."

"Cereal?"

"Nuh uh."

We finally settled on burgers (at my persistence). I put together a burger seasoning with what I could find and Cloud cooked them on the stove. It was fun cooking with him. he made a face when I threatened to throw the raw meat at him and I complained at his lack of spices.

"Hey I don't cook, my mom does."

We'd have to do this again sometime.

The cooking I mean. Though the repeat sex was already a given.

After the food was cooked, I placed myself on the counter while Cloud was on a bar stool in front of me. The ketchup bottle and a bag of buns were open between us. I didn't bother with a plate.

"Bes afer sex foo," I say with a mouthful.

Cloud chuckles. "You can choke on that you know."

I wave him off. "I'll live." I stick a finger into the jar of barbeque sauce and ate it. Oh I love this stuff. Whoever thought of mixing tangy barbeque sauce with Hawaiian spices was genius. I place my finger back in the jar before placing it in my mouth and slowly sucking it off. I steal a glance at Cloud to see his reaction.

"Here why don't you try some?" I quickly stick my finger back into the bottle and place it in his mouth. As I drew it out sensually, I watched a small tent form in Cloud's pants. _Ah a piece of cake._ I lick the finger myself and hopped off the counter before stretching. "Hmm, that was delicious," I say close to his face. "Now that I've sated my hunger I'm going back to bed." I made sure to swing my hips a little as I made my way up the stairs. It wasn't a couple seconds later until Cloud began to tail me. He had a clear view of my derriere and grabbed me by my hips when I made it to the top of the steps.

"Are you teasing me?"

He starts kissing my neck and running his hand up my borrowed shirt as his length rubs against my bottom.

"So round two?"

* * *

So the last scene was interesting to write. It was a completely new territory for me. Let me know if you have any pointers on it lol. On a different note, I thought that I was going to put this out tomorrow. Then decided that would be unfair to you all. So if there's any mistakes in there, well shit I tried. Hope you liked it.

_Sook_


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